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Journalism of Courage
Union Defence Minister A K Antony has directed the Ministry of Defence to conduct a fresh probe into the death of Captain Sumit Kohli,who died under mysterious circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir in 2006. While the Army termed it as a case of suicide,Kohli’s family claimed it was a murder.
Antony,who had met Sumit’s mother Veena a fortnight ago in New Delhi,asked Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar to order the fresh investigation,Ministry sources said on Tuesday.
Veena had demanded a probe independent of the Army or by the CBI,saying she had no faith in the Army that had declared that Sumit had committed suicide.
Kohli (26),who was serving with 16 Rashtriya Rifles in Lolab in North Kashmir,was found dead with gunshot wounds in his room in the military residential facility in April 2006. On receiving the news of his son’s demise,Sumit’s father suffered a stroke. He died a day after the officer’s cremation.
The Shaurya Chakra awardee’s family has alleged that he was murdered because he was about to reveal the names of officers who were believed to be behind the killing of four porters in a fake encounter in Lolab in April 2004.
Veena,in her representation to Antony,had said that Sumit was a brave officer and could never have committed suicide. She also denied the Army’s claim that the young officer killed himself with a service rifle due to family troubles.
