Poonch: Army initiates Court of Inquiry as police lodges murder case over killing of three civilians

The counter-insurgency unit of the Army was in the news for wrong reasons in October also when one of its major-rank officers opened fire on his colleagues and exploded grenades inside the Neeli post camp near Thanamandi, leaving five personnel including three officers injured.

Srinagar: Amid mounting anger against the killing of three civilians, four Army officers, including a Brigadier, whose unit is looking after operations in Surankote, Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, have been taken off duty and moved out, sources said.

Besides shifting the officers, which besides the Brigadier, includes a Colonel and a Lieutenant Colonel, the Army has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident to instill some confidence among the local population.

The Army’s internal probe will be conducted by a separate formation based in Akhnoor - part of the Nagrota-based XVI Corps and is likely to be completed within a week, they said. The probe will include other agencies like the Jammu and Kashmir police to ensure impartiality. The officers have been attached to the formation until the inquiry is over.

Though the army and J&K administration have not said who is responsible for the deaths of the trio which came in the wake of a fierce gun battle with terrorist wherein four soldiers were killed, locals allege the men were killed in Army custody.

J&K police FIR says cognizable offence under section 302 of the IPC has been made out and case stands registered. However, it says, the details of the accused are ‘unknown’.

The sarpanch of their village and the relatives of two of the slain civilians have said they were among the 13 locals seen on a purported video being brutally beaten and tortured by unidentified soldiers.

10 civilians, who were injured after being picked up by the Army for questioning, have been admitted in Poonch and Surankot hospitals. The victims belong to tribal Gujjar and Bakerwal communities which have always been at the forefront in anti-militancy operations in J&K.

The community always took lead in helping security forces even when militancy was at its peak. The Army has said that the matter is under investigation and that it stands “committed to extending full support and cooperation in the conduct of investigations".

According to sources, the Army is also rejigging the postings of some officers in the wake of the civilian deaths in the region amid allegations of custodial torture by the families of the deceased. However, no official information was shared by the Army.

Meanwhile, the anti-terror operations in the forest belt of Dera Ki Gali and Bafliaz areas of Poonch and Rajouri continued for the sixth day with Army chief General Manoj Pande reviewing the situation on the ground in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch.