Jammu and Kashmir police said on Friday that DNA samples from the three youths mistakenly shot in an encounter in July matched their relatives in Rajouri and that further investigations are underway.
The military admitted last week that the powers conferred by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) were violated in the July killing of three people, who they thought were terrorists.
The families of the three blamed the army for killing them in a fake encounter.
“DNA samples from families have been received and matched with those from the dead in the Amshipora encounter. The remaining formalities will be completed and further action will be taken, ”Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police, told reporters in Srinagar.
In a statement, the army had said that the investigation ordered by the authorities into the operation in Amshipora in Shopian on July 18 had been concluded.
“The investigation has produced prima facie evidence indicating that during the operation, the powers conferred by AFSPA 1990 were exceeded and the pros and cons of the Chief of Staff of the Army (COAS) approved by the Honorable Supreme Court were violated. . Consequently, the competent disciplinary authority has ordered the initiation of a disciplinary process under the Army Law against those who respond prima facie, ”the spokesman had said, adding that the evidence gathered showed that the three unidentified men killed in Amshipora are actually Imtiyaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed and Mohd Ibrar, all from Rajouri.
Previously, the families of the three wrote to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, requesting his intervention after DNA reports were delayed.
The three men, related to each other, were shot dead in an encounter on July 18. DNA samples from their families were sent to the Srinagar Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the Chandigarh FSL.
“Our children left for Shopian on July 16, in search of work where one of our relatives, Imtiyaz Ahmed, works at the ‘Lambardar’ house. After a couple of days, we lost contact with the children. So we decided to file a disappearance complaint ”, says the letter from the families, which adds that on August 10, they found out, through social networks, that the three men were murdered in a meeting.
“We identify them from photographs of the bodies. On August 13, a Shopian police team collected DNA samples from us. They assured us that the DNA report would be out within 10 days. To date, we have not been informed about the reports, ”said the plea to Sinha.
“Our children were not related to the militancy. To do this, we demand an investigation. They were murdered in cold blood and were simply students and workers. We demand an impartial and fair investigation into the murders, as well as the DNA reports, so that things can be made public, ”the letter reads. The families added in the letter that several of their members are still in the military.
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