Srinagar: After the Shopian incident, in which Army killed four civilians and claimed that they were ‘Over Ground Workers’ of the militants, the Jammu and Kashmir police has issued an advisory asking people to stop when signaled by the forces.
According to a report in the Indian Express, Baramulla police, after the killings posted a message on various social networks.
“In order to ensure the overall security of the area, police and security forces have established checking points / naka points/ mobile vehicle checking points in various areas on main roads and peripheral roads in the district. We understand it’s a major inconvenience but its –inevitable- to ensure the safety and security of public.”
“Please don’t jump these checking points and feel free to contact officers,’’ reads the message.
The report also mentioned that killing of four civilians who were first termed as overground workers by the army and police had raised many questions about the way they (civilians) were killed on the road where the army had set up a Mobile vehicle checking points (MVCP) in the Shopian district.
In its defense, the Army said that two vehicles in which four persons who were killed in Shopian didn’t stop at the checking point set up by the army when they were asked to stop and the patrol was fired from both the vehicles.
The family members and relatives of youth killed blamed the army for killing these youths in a cold blood and said that they all were innocent civilians.
Recently, two militants and four civilians, who the army claimed were overground workers (OGWs) of militants were killed after the militants fired on a mobile vehicle check post (MVCP) of 54 Rashtriya Rifles.
However, the villagers refuted the army claim and said the four slain men were civilians.
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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that she was deeply distressed due to the civilian killings in Shopian. The chief minister tweeted her condolences to the families of the people who were ‘caught in cross fire’.
The various business communities of the valley also reacted to the killings. The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement said that the incident, probably is a ‘fake encounter’. While the Kashmir Economic Alliance called it a ‘strategic genocide’.
The Jammat-e-Islami in it’s statement said that the incident proves that the Indian Army is immune from every legal and moral accountability. The Joint Resistance leadership has called for ‘Shopian Chalo’ on March 7. They have also called for a complete shutdown too.
In their statement, the JRL said that the ‘Indian trigger happy forces and police are deployed to kill Kashmiris and pro-India politicians and political parties especially RSS backed Mehbooba regime is deployed to provide a legal cover to these killers.’
ALSO READ: The Slain Shopian Siblings: Even death didn’t do them part
Last month three civilian were murdered by the Army after a crowd threw stones at them. They had come to remove ‘black banners’ which the people didn’t allow.
The army according to eyewitnesses retaliated with firing. Witnesses added that army fired upon youth directly resulting in the injuries of at least 11 persons.
The Army however said that they fired in ‘self defence’ after they were provoked to the ‘ultimate’ by a stone throwing crowd.
The BJP, coalition partner of the ruling PDP had demanded that the FIR against the Army should withdrawn and a new one lodged without naming anyone. However, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that the investigation would be taken to its ‘logical end.’
A BJP leader Subramanian Swamy threatened Mehbooba Mufti to withdraw the FIR against the army otherwise her government would be toppled.
“What’s this nonsense? Dismiss that government. Tell Mehbooba (Mufti) to withdraw the FIR else her government would be toppled,” Swamy told ANI.
