SRINAGAR: In one of its quickest probes in Jammu and Kashmir, Army has completed its probe into recent killing of two youth in central Kashmir district of Budgam and indicted nine of its personnel including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the killings.
Army had launched probe into the killing of two youth in troops firing in Chattergam area in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on November 3. The army men had fired on a moving maruti car in the area killing two teenagers and injuring two others. It had claimed that the vehicle had not stopped at the check-point.
The killings had evoked massive protests prompting Army’s Northern Command Chief, Lt Gen D S Hooda to own the killings and order speedy inquiry into the incident.
Sources said army has completed probe into the killings. “70 witnesses including civilians and army men recorded their statements before the inquiry officer”.
“15 army men, who were part of the patrol party that fired on the youth, were probed for their involvement into the incident and nine of them including a JCO have been indicted on the basis of evidences against them,” they said.
Sources said army inquiry has indicted nine soldiers and found total failure of command by the officer in-charge of the Army column during the incident.
After the firing incident, all the solders parts of the patrol party were detached from the parent unit.
Sources said the file has been sent for final approval to Army’s Northern command chief.
“The presiding officer has given his recommendations and all the proceedings will be examined by legal branch of Northern Command,” they said adding Northern command headquarters will check all the proceedings.
They said it is too early to say what kind of judgement will be awarded to the men. “They can be given harsh punishment or exonerated as per the evidence”.
This is the second major judgement of army against its men and officers in the Valley in this month after BJP-led Narendra Modi took reigns of the country.
On November 13, army court had convicted six of its men including two officers and awarded them life imprisonment for their involvement in staging a fake encounter in Machil in April 2010 and killing three innocent civilians. The killings had triggered summer unrest in the Valley and over 120 civilians had died in police and security men firing.