M A I N   N E W S

‘Fake’ Encounter
Major booked, jawan arrested
Tejinder Singh Sodhi
Tribune News Service

Nadihal (Baramulla), May 29
A Major and a Territorial Army jawan, Abbas Hussain Shah, were today booked for the killing of three civilians in an alleged fake encounter in the Machil sector in Kupwara district on April 30. The jawan was arrested too.

“This is a clear case of murder for medal and reward. The three youths were innocent civilians, who were labelled as militants and killed by the Army,” a police officer said.

A former special police officer (SPO), Bashir Ahmad, and his accomplice, Fayaz Ahmed, are already in police custody in connection with the killings. He added Bashir had revealed the name of the TA jawan, who played a key role in the conspiracy to kill the youths.

“He, on the behest of the Major, conspired with Lone, Ahmad and Abdul Hamid Bhat to lure the three civilians. The youths were promised jobs of porter in the Machil sector near the LoC where the Army unit was located,” the police officer said. He said the three youths were taken to Sogam village in Kupwara, and were then shifted in another vehicle and taken to the LoC. Near the LoC, they were killed in the fake encounter.

Meanwhile, the situation continued to remain tense in Nadihal village for the second consecutive day today after the villagers refused to bury the bodies of the three youths. The bodies were exhumed yesterday and handed over to their relatives.

The villagers took the bodies in a procession and placed them on the Baramulla-Rafiabad road. The police had to resort to a baton charge to disperse the mob and at least 12 youths were injured, including two seriously. The agitating mob also set ablaze the house of former SPO Bashir, who is said to be the mastermind of the kidnapping of the youths and staging the encounter.