Conflict
Youth injured in Army firing in Shopian dies, clashes erupt in Pulwama
Won’t order Court of Inquiry against Major Aditya and his unit, did not violate SOP, says Army
Two civilians were killed on Saturday afternoon when army opened fire in Ganawpora. However, on Wednesday another youth, Rayees Ahmed Ganaie of Narpora Shopian succumbed to his injuries in the wee hours today after battling for life for nearly five days at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of SKIMS Soura.
With the death of Rayees Ganaie, the death toll has reached three.
A complete shutdown is being observed on the seventh consecutive day today in Shopian district against the civilian killings. All shops, business establishments, government and private offices remain closed in the district while public and private transport was off the roads.
An official said that contingents of forces were deployed at sensitive locations in the district to thwart any “element of violence”.
Mobile Internet service remained suspended in Pulwama and Shopian districts on the seventh consecutive day.
Local sources from Pulwama said that as soon as the news about the injured civilian broke, youth came on the roads and protested.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered a case against the Major Aditya and his Army unit, 10 Garhwal Rifles and murder charges have been pressed.
The opposition had demanded arrest of the army-men involved. “The government should arrest all the army personnel named in the FIR,” opposition leader Ali Sagar said while speaking in the Assembly during the discussion on Shopian killings.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Mehbooba had said, “the Army would not be demoralized by registration of a single FIR. There can be black sheep in army also.”
Earlier PDP’s alliance partner BJP’s R S Pathani had said that the FIR should be withdrawn and a fresh one be lodged without naming anyone. As soon as the proceedings of the house started, the opposition demanded a discussion on the killings. After much furor and CM’s intervention, the speaker allowed the discussion.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on had said that when the government has already lodged an FIR against the Shopian murders, ordering a magisterial probe into the murders has confused the case. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Omar had said, “Magisterial probe is ordered only if the culprits are unidentified while in this case the names were clearly mentioned in the FIR.”
The Indian Army has said that it will not constitute any Court of Inquiry (CoI) against Major Aditya in connection with the killing of two youths in Ganwapora area of district Shopian on Saturday afternoon, reports said quoting army sources.
“The CoI will not be set up against Major Aditya as he did not violate the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP). The State administration has already constituted a probe team they will file the report in 20 days,” sources said.
