Srinagar, May 11
Over six years after the incident, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here today filed charge-sheets in the fake encounter case against Army personnel for the alleged killing of five civilians at Pathribal in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. The charge sheets against five Army officers were submitted by the Investigating Officer, Ashok Kalra, before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar this morning.

It pertained to the killing of five civilians at Pathribal, who were allegedly branded as militants for the killing of 36 Sikhs at Chhatisinghpora on March 20, 2000, when the then US President, Mr Bill Clinton, was on his Asia visit. The case had been handed over to the CBI in February 2003.

Those against whom the charges were framed included Brigadier Ajay Saxena, Lt-Col B.P. Singh, Major Saurabh Sharma, Major Amit Saxena and Subedar Idrees Khan. They have been charged under various counts of the IPC, including 302. The Chief Judicial Magistrate has fixed the next hearing in the case on May 24 and the Army has been asked to reply before the fixed date of hearing.