Srinagar, May 27: After allegations that three youth have been killed in fake encounter by soldiers in Indian Kashmir, the chief minister Omar Abdullah has ordered a probe into the killings and taken up the issue with senior army official in the region, who has assured that they will fully cooperate during the investigations to unravel the truth.

Three youth Muhammad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmed and Riyaz Ahmed hailing from Nadihal, Rafiabad area in North Kashmir had gone missing since April 27.

Three days after they went missing; Indian Army claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid of militants to sneak into Kashmir from Pakistani controlled Kashmir (PcK). The army had claimed that it killed three militants during the gunfight near Sonapindi Nar area of Macchil along the Line of Control (defacto border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir) on April 30.

The family members of the missing youth identified their kiths after a local newspaper published the pictures of the deceased militants killed by army during an alleged encounter in Machil sector on April 30.

Strongly contesting army’s claim that the deceased were militants, the family members of the missing youth alleged that a former Special Police Officer (SPO) Bashir Ahmed and his accomplice Fayaz Ahmed (pro-government gunman) had abducted the trio last month. “They later handed them over to army who killed them in a fake encounter,” they alleged.

Ghulam Muhammad Khan, father of Shezhad Ahmed said Indian army has killed his son for rewards and medals. “My son was not remotely involved in militancy. He was not a militant but an innocent youth, who had big dreams,” he said.

Khan demanded exhumation of the bodies. “The bodies should be exhumed and handed over to legal heirs for proper funeral,” he said and demanded exemplary punishment to the soldiers involved in killing of three youth.
The incident has triggered massive anti-India protests in Nadihal, Rafiabad, the hometown of the deceased youth. Hundreds of people for the second day in succession on Friday took to roads and staged demonstrations. Chanting pro-freedom, pro-Islamic and anti-India slogans, the protestors alleged that the three youth were killed in a fake encounter by Indian army. They demanded a through probe into the killing of three youth and stern punishment to the guilty soldiers.

In view of the public outcry, the Kashmir government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. “If the allegations are proved right, the law will take its course and whosoever is found involved in the killing of three youth would be taken to task and not spared,” a senior government official said.

A senior police officer said that they have started a probe. “We have arrested two persons, who had reportedly accompanied the trio and are questioning them,” he said.

“As and when a formal report is received from police, a fast track inquiry will be instituted to ascertain the facts. In case any wrongdoing comes to lights, expeditious action will be taken to bring guilty to book,” said Lt Col J S Brar, Indian army’s spokesman in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir.

Keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met senior Indian army official Lt. General N.C Marwah on Friday morning and expressed his concern over the army’s role in the incident.

“Lt Gen Marwah assured the Chief Minister that Army will cooperate fully with all investigating agencies / inquiries setup by the government and assist them to reach the truth. He also informed that based on the preliminary investigation of Police, the Army has already ordered a high level internal inquiry into the incident to bare the facts transparently and to bring to book anybody if found guilty,” an official spokesman said.

He said that the army official has assured that at no point will it cover up any incident where human right violations are proved.

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National Turk / India – Faiz Ahmad

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