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Shopian encounter: Army asks locals to share info for probe
In an advertisement issued in different newspapers, the army has asked people having any information about the encounter to come forward and assured full confidentiality.
The army on Wednesday asked eyewitnesses to share “credible” inputs for its probe into the killing of three alleged militants in an encounter in Shopian last month.
In an advertisement issued in different newspapers, the army has asked people having any information about the encounter to come forward and assured full confidentiality. “Any person having any credible inputs/ information on the encounter by security forces at Shopian’s Amshipora village on July 18, 2020, may please contact Deputy GOC, HQ CIF (Victor) on 01933-247026 within the next 10 days. The identity and details of the person will be kept secret,” reads the advertisement. Pamphlets of similar nature were circulated in the neighbouring villages of the encounter spot.
The army has begun a probe into the killing of three “militants” in an encounter in Shopian in July, following allegations by families in the Rajouri area of Jammu region that many of their kin were missing from the same place.
Srinagar-based defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia had said on Tuesday that the Army was committed to ethical conduct of all counter-terrorist operations.
“Statements of key witnesses are being recorded and the progress is being monitored closely. Additional civil witnesses are being asked to depose before the court of inquiry. Concurrently, DNA samples have been collected from Rajouri, under the aegis of JK Police, and are being matched with those of terrorists killed on July 18,” he said.
“Cases where doubts are raised are investigated under due process as per the law of the land. Since the case is under investigation, further details will be shared periodically, as appropriate without affecting due legal process,” he had said.
The encounter took place on July 18 when the army claimed to have killed three militants at Amshipora in the higher reaches of Shopian in south Kashmir.
However, little over two weeks thereafter, missing complaints were lodged in Rajouri area of Jammu region by the families of three youths, working as labourers in apple and walnut orchards, who had disappeared from the same region and they had last talked to them on July 17.