CBI on Thursday filed chargesheets in the infamous Pathribal fake encounter case against five Army officials for allegedly killing five innocent civilians dubbing them as terrorists involved in the Chattisinghpora massacre of 2000.
The five Army officials against whom charges were framed were Brigadier Ajay Saxena, Lt Col BP Singh, Major Saurabh Sharma, Major Amit Saxena and Junior Commissioned Officer Adrees Khan.
Investigating officer Ashok Kalra submitted the chargesheets before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Yousuf Khan, charging the officials under various counts of Indian Penal Code for murder, abduction with intention to murder, wrongful confinement, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.
The CJM fixed May 24 for next hearing, when the Army has been asked to reply whether they would initiate court martial proceedings against the officers or preferred that the officers be tried by a civil court.
The CBI, which was handed over the case in January 2003, had alleged that the officials and jawans of 7 Rashtriya Rifles had staged a fake encounter to kill the civilians suspecting them to be involved in the carnage of Sikhs in Chattisinghpora on March 20, 2000 when US President Bill Clinton was in New Delhi as part of his visit to India.