SRINAGAR: An Army investigation ordered two months ago found “prima face evidence” that the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special powers law, 1990 was killed during an anti-terrorist operation in Amshipora, Shopian, on July 17 this year in which three “unidentified terrorists” were killed, an Army statement said Friday.
The families of the three murdered men, Imtiaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrar, had claimed that their charges were workers, not terrorists, and were killed when they had gone to Shopian to work.
“The investigation has brought to light … what the Army Chief of Staff should and should not do, as approved by the Supreme Court, has been violated. Consequently, the competent disciplinary authority has ordered that a disciplinary process of the Army Law be initiated against those who prima facie respond ”, the defense spokesperson said.
“The evidence collected by the investigation has indicated prima facie that the three unidentified terrorists killed in Operation Amshipora were Imtiaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrar, who came from Rajouri. Your DNA report is expected. His participation in terrorism or related activities is being investigated by the police, ”added the defense spokesman.
The Army has yet to identify the officers of the 62 RR units responsible for the incident, Army sources said. “But we are in the process of initiating disciplinary actions under the laws of the Army against the personnel directly involved in the incident,” said Army sources.
On July 18, three unidentified “terrorists” were killed in an operation carried out jointly by the 62 Rashtriya rifles of the Army, the CRPF and the J&K police in the village of Amshipora, the Army spokesman said at the time. A day after the meeting, the police had said that the murdered militants were being identified and their bodies had been “sent to Baramulla for the last rites after carrying out the medico-legal formalities.”
Although the Army statement said that three foreign terrorists had been killed on July 18, the police, the civil administration and the Army announced an investigation three weeks later when the victims’ families raised their voices.
The spokesman said that the Indian military is committed to the ethical conduct of operations. Further updates on the case will be given periodically without affecting due process of law.
The three missing youths had last called their families on July 17 to inform them that they had come to Shopian and rented a room, according to Lal Hussain, a relative of one of the murdered youths.
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