THE ARMY’S WRITTEN REBUTTAL CAME AFTER POLICE DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF SEVERAL ARMY PERSONNEL OF THE 10TH GARHWAL BATTALION
SRINAGAR: The Indian army on Wednesday formally approached Jammu and Kashmir police with its version of the Shopian firing incident that left three civilians dead and reignited a debate over alleged excesses by security forces in the militancy-ravaged state.
While two civilians were killed on Saturday in the firing by army personnel on a group of protesters, one of the nine injured died at a hospital on Wednesday.
The army’s written rebuttal came after police decided to investigate the role of several army personnel of the 10th Garhwal battalion, including a major, in the incident. The FIR includes sections of murder and attempt to murder.
“We have received (the) army’s version of the (incident) and it has been made part of the file,” said Shopian senior superintendent of police Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar. “There has been no separate FIR but their version is taken on record,” he said, but did not divulge the details of the army document.
The army’s Srinagar-based spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia did not respond to HT calls despite repeated attempts.
The army claims that soldiers fired on protesters in “self-defence” to prevent the lynching of an officer, snatching of weapons by villagers and burning of their vehicles. Eye-witnesses in Ganawpora village, where the incident took place, however, alleged that soldiers fired after a confrontation with villagers over the removal of an Islamic banner.
Suhail Lone and Javid Bhat, both in their 20s, were killed on Saturday while Rayees Ahmed Ganai died on Wednesday.
The FIR against army personnel has kicked off a controversy and led to difference of opinion in the coalition partners in the state –the PDP and the BJP.
After BJP lawmakers on Monday demanded withdrawal of the FIR against the army, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said the charges won’t demoralise the soldiers. It was the duty of the government to take the FIR to its logical conclusion, she said. A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident.
