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Srinagar, July 10 (UNI) The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in Jammu and Kashmir has awarded an ex-gratia relief of Rs one lakh to a family of a youth allegedly killed by security forces in custody by slitting his throat at Khrew in Pulwama district in 1995.

In his order, a single bench of Habibullah Bhat said Ghulam Mohammad Lone, a resident of Khrew in Pampore area of Pulwama district, had gone for ablution in the morning on May 5, 1995, when troops of 169 Field Regiment ''mistook'' the youth for a militant.

The youth was taken to a nearby camp and later his body handed over to the family with a deep cut wound on his throat, he said.

Mr Bhat said the photographs submitted by the petitioner clearly establish that the youth was killed by slitting his throat as if he was an ''animal meant for slaughtering''.

The Commission held that it was a ''barbaric act of human rights violation'' to cut the throat of a person and then to cover up the ''misdeeds'' dub him a militant.

The victim's father, Lassa Lone, died of shock on seeing the slit-throat body of his son.

Mr Bhat sanctioned Rs one lakh as ex-gratia relief to the family of the deceased while disposing off a petition in this regard.

UNI