Killing innocents & labelling them terrorists most heinous crime, says former DGP

SRINAGAR — Former Director General of Police J&K, S P Vaid said killing innocent youth and showing them as terrorists is most heinous crime and those involved should be charged for murder.

Vaid was reacting about the killing of three youth from Rajouri in Shopian which Army had claimed were militants.

“Killing innocent youth and show them as terrorists is most heinous crime and those involved should be charged for murder,” the former DGP tweeted.

Army men involved in a controversial encounter in which three men were claimed to have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian on July 18 have been indicted by the Indian Army. The Army said that disciplinary action is being initiated against the accused troops.

The locals and families have alleged that the three young men were killed in a staged encounter and were cousins who were working as labourers in Shopian.

A court of inquiry instituted by the Army has found that troops exceeded powers vested under Armed Forces Special Power Act or AFSPA and acted in contravention of the “Do’s and Don’ts of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) approved by the Supreme Court”.

“The inquiry ordered by the Army authorities into Op Amshipora has been concluded. The inquiry has brought out certain prima facie evidence indicating that during the operation, powers vested under the AFSPA 1990 were exceeded and have been contravened,” a defence spokesperson said.

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

The statement said that the evidence collected by the inquiry has indicated that the three unidentified terrorists killed in Op Amshipora were Imtiyaz 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,” the statement added.