Police sources confirmed that the body was exhumed and handed over to the family for burial last week.In April, the body of 30-year-old Rashid Ahmad Mughal was found in the forests of Arhama village in Ganderbal. While the Army had said Mughal (30) was killed in an “encounter”, the family had claimed he was innocent and killed in a “fake gunfight”.On Monday, Mughal’s family said that his body was exhumed last week and handed over to them. “We buried him at night about five days back. Some of his family members were with us along with the police,” his uncle Ghulam Rasool Mughal told The Indian Express.Police sources confirmed that the body was exhumed and handed over to the family for burial last week. Mughal was buried late at night at their ancestral graveyard in Chunt Walivar village of Lar in Ganderbal.On April 1, the Army had issued a statement claiming that a terrorist had been eliminated in an encounter in the Arhama forests of Ganderbal. The identity was not released. An ATM card, recovered by the J&K Police from Mughal, eventually led to his identification.The family had called the encounter into question, stating that the deceased was not a militant but an educated individual who helped people in his village secure documents such as domicile certificates, job cards, old-age pension cards and bank loan documents for nominal charges.Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had sought an impartial probe into the incident.The Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, which falls under the purview of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the encounter.Story continues below this adAnnouncing the probe, Sinha had stated, “I have ordered a thorough and impartial magisterial inquiry into the Arhama, Ganderbal incident. The inquiry will examine all aspects related to the incident and ensure that justice is served.”The inquiry report was not publicly released.According to Mughal’s brother, Ajaz, Rashid had left home on the morning of March 31 and did not return in the evening. “We called him around 6 pm. His phone was switched off. He had an old phone, and we thought it must have broken down,” he had said.The next morning, the Station House Officer paid him a visit. “He told me that my brother had an accident and asked me to come along,” Ajaz had said. “They took me to the police control room in Srinagar and asked me to identify a body. I was shocked to see it was my brother’s.”Ajaz had said police had told him that his brother was a militant. “I told them it was not true. I asked them to hand over the body, but they refused,” he had claimed. “They took it to Handwara; I was the only family member accompanying it.”Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More Tags:Jammu and Kashmir