Army starts enquiry after families allege militants killed in Shopian were labourers

The army has initiated an enquiry into the killing of three alleged militants in Shopian on July 18 after the family members of three missing labourers from Rajouri in Jammu alleged that the trio was killed in a fake encounter.

“We have noted social media inputs linked to the operation at Shopian on 18 July. The three terrorists killed during the operation have not been identified and the bodies were buried based on established protocols. The army is investigating the matter,” PRO Defence, Col Rajesh Kalia told DH.

On July 18, police said, three unidentified terrorists were killed in an operation carried jointly by the Army’s 62-Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and J&K police in Amshipora village of Shopian. A day after the encounter, police said that the process of identification of the slain militants is underway while “the bodies were sent to Baramulla for last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities.”

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, security forces are not handing over the bodies of the militants to families for last rites but instead burying them discreetly at faraway places.

On Monday families of Imtiaz Ahmed son of Sagar Hussain, Ibrar Ahmed son of Bagha Khan and Ibrar Ahmed son of Mohammad Yousuf lodged an FIR at Peeri Police Post, in Rajouri district that their kins were missing since July 17.

Guftar Ahmad Chaudhary, a social activist from Rajouri, said the families have apprehensions that these boys may have been killed in the Shopian encounter. “This matter should be investigated at the earliest,” he said.

Zafar Choudhary, a journalist from Jammu, tweeted that he had spoken to the family who had identified the three youths “beyond any doubt”:

“The three boys killed in Amshipora were in my distant relation. I have just spoken to family, they’ve identified them beyond any doubt. They don’t remember the exact date of speaking to them last but say the news of death came on the 22nd day of losing contact with them,” he tweeted.

The missing trio, according to reports, had left their homes on 16 July to find work in Kashmir. Amidst the coronavirus lockdown, the trio managed to reach Shopian district where as per families, they rented a room and purchased some essentials.

Quoting a relative of one of the missing persons, a local newspaper reported: “The last time we spoke to them was on July 17, after that we were not able to establish any contact with them.”

Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Shopian, Amrit Paul Singh said they were investigating the case.

Sources said only two pistols along with some bullets were recovered at the spot of the encounter.