Tags:
Journalism of Courage
While the Jammu-Kashmir Police have arrested two persons in connection with the “fake encounter” at Larnoo Bandipore, as reported in The Indian Express, the Army has ordered an inquiry into the case.
A trooper of 3 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment (JAKLI), Tahir Pathan, and an Army source, Riyaz Ahmad Chichi, have been arrested on charges of killing labourer Mohammad Ashraf Sheikh for monetary gains and later dubbing him as a militant.
Confirming the probe, Defence spokesperson N C Vij said, “We will investigate what led to these allegations against the Army unit.” Sources said while a senior Army officer will carry out the probe, the role of two officers will be under scanner.
On June 3, Sheikh disappeared from Srinagar where he had been working as a labourer. Soon after, the Budgam police arrested Chichi on charges of abducting the daughter of a soldier. Chichi along with the girl was traced to S D Colony, Batamaloo in Srinagar. Later, police recovered a card from Chichi, which identified him as an Army source in Bandipore.
The Budgam police found out that their Bandipore counterparts were on the lookout for Chichi as they had information that he was seen with Sheikh before the “encounter”.
Police said Chichi claimed he had hired Sheikh from Srinagar for Rs 200 a day, taken him to Bandipore where Armymen staged an “encounter”, and placed a gun near his body to pass him off as a militant. They said Chichi claimed a Major had promised to “capture a militant for the unit” in exchange for Rs 1 lakh.
