Three men were killed in a gathering at J & K’s Shopian in July, their families alleged.
Srinagar:
Soldiers involved in a controversial encounter in which three terrorists were claimed to have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian on July 18 have been charged by the Indian military. The army said disciplinary actions are being taken against the accused troops.
Locals and families have alleged that the three young men killed in a staged encounter and were cousins who worked as day laborers at the Shopian.
An investigative court instituted by the army determined that the troops exceeded the powers conferred under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA and acted in contravention of the “Dos and Don’ts of the Army Chief of Staff (COAS) approved by the Supreme Court “.
“The investigation ordered by the Army authorities into Op Amshipora has concluded. The investigation has produced some prima facie evidence indicating that during the operation, the powers conferred under AFSPA 1990 were exceeded and violated,” said a defense spokesman.
“Consequently, the competent disciplinary authority has ordered the initiation of a disciplinary process under the Army Law against those who prima facie respond,” he said.
The statement said that the evidence collected by the investigation has indicated that the three unidentified terrorists killed in Op Amshipora were Imtiyaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed and Mohd Ibrar, who hailed from Rajouri.
“His DNA report is expected. Police are investigating his involvement in terrorism or related activities,” the statement added.
The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, called for strong action against the culprits.
The families of the three murdered men had continued to proclaim their innocence. The disciplinary action initiated by the army would suggest that the army agrees with the families. The process must remain transparent and the culprits must face the full weight of the law. https://t.co/Na4o15UspD
– Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) September 18, 2020
The meeting sparked outrage after photos of the three young men appeared on social media. The families identified them as three cousins who disappeared on July 17 from a rented accommodation in the village of Chowgam in the Shopian district.
Their families said that Ibrar, 17, Imtiyaz, 25, and Abrar Ahmed, 20, were workers who had come to Shopian to work from the village of Dhar Sakri in the Rajouri area of Poonch and had been out of contact. from July 17, one day before the meeting.
Following the controversy, both the army and the police had said they would investigate the case. The locals had told NDTV that after the encounter, the police and the army called people in the area to identify the bodies; none of them turned out to be local.
“They called us to identify the bodies. We could not identify any of them, they were not locals. They had bullets in their faces, eyes and chest,” said Mohammad Ashraf, a villager who lives just 100 meters from where the shooting took place. meeting. site.
Kashmir is one of the most militarized regions in the world where the government says it has been trying to control Pakistani-sponsored terrorism for more than 30 years.
Counterterrorism operations and a strong security presence even in residential areas are a common sight in the valley, where thousands have died in terrorist attacks and military actions.
.
