Shopian encounter: Army finds troops violated powers under AFSPA, likely to face action

The Army has found ‘prima facie’ evidence that troops violated powers under AFSPA in Shopian ‘fake encounter’ that killed three men in July, Srinagar-based Defence.

The competent disciplinary authority has directed to initiate disciplinary proceedings under the Army Act against those found prima-facie answerable, the spokesperson said.

An inquiry ordered by the Army authorities into the Amshipora Shopian encounter, in which three persons were killed, has concluded, the spokesperson said.

“The inquiry has brought out certain prima facie evidence indicating that during the operation, powers vested under the AFSPA 1990 were exceeded and the Do’s and Don’ts of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) as approved by the Hon’ble Supreme Court have been contravened.

Consequently, the competent disciplinary authority has directed to initiate disciplinary proceedings under the Army Act against those found prima-facie answerable,” said the spokesperson in a statement.

On July 18, the army claimed three militants were killed in the higher reaches of Shopian in South Kashmir. However, no further details were shared.

The controversy started after some families filed a complaint with a police station in Rajouri stating that their three members are missing since July 17 from Ashimpora area of Shopian where they were working as labourers in apple and walnut orchards.

The families, who filed the police complaint jointly, gave pictures of their kin — Mohammed Ibrar (21), Ibrar Ahmad (18) and Imtiaz Ahmad (26) — which were subsequently shared with the Kashmir police for investigation.

The relatives of the youths, belonging to Dhar Sakri village in Kotranka of Rajouri area in Poonch, lodged the missing report with the local police after they failed to contact the trio and news of an encounter came on July 18 from Ashimpora in Shopian, a police official said.

Later DNA samples were collected from Rajouri from the families and killed youth.

The Army spokesperson said the evidence collected by the inquiry has prima-facie indicated that the three unidentified persons killed in the Amshipora operation were Imtiaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed and Mohd Ibrar, who hailed from Rajouri.

“Their DNA report is awaited. Their involvement with terrorism or related activities is under investigation by the police,” he said.

According to Mohammad Yousuf Gujjar, his son Abrar Ahmad along with his cousin Abrar Ahmad Khan had gone in search of work to Shopian on July 16. He said their cousin Imtiaz Ahmad Gujjar was already in Shopian since June and he had called them.

Gujjar said they didn’t call home since July 18 and the family thought they might have been put into quarantine.

However, on August 9, when they couldn’t get their whereabouts, the families filed a missing reports at a police station in Rajouri. They said they recognised them after they saw pictures of their bodies.