SPY EYES

Over three years after the Machchil fake encounter that fuelled widespread unrest in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir Valley, the Indian Army ordered court martial proceedings against six of its men, including a Colonel and 2 Majors, for gunning down three youths and labelling them as militants. The order was issued on Wednesday.

Official sources said today those who will face proceedings include Col D K Pathania, Commanding Officer (CO) of 4 Rajput Regiment, Major Upinder, Major Maurya, and four of its men.

The incident came to light on April 30, 2010 when bodies of three youths were shown by the Indian Army as militants who were trying to sneak into the Indian-Occupied Valley from higher reaches of Machchil in North Kashmir with arms and ammunition. It had later claimed that they were Pakistani terrorists.

However, it was established by the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir state’s police that the unemployed youths — Mohamad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmed and Riyaz Ahmed — were residents of Nadihal in Baramulla district, and were misled by Indian Army troops on the pretext of giving jobs; later, they were shot dead.
The Occupied J&K State Police had chargesheeted nine people in July 2010, including six Army personnel, but had to hand over the probe to the Indian Army after it was assured of holding a detailed inquiry into the incident.

An official spokesperson of the Northern Command said the Indian Army ordered disciplinary proceedings against the accused personnel of the Army units involved in the 2010 Machchil fake encounter case.

“A very detailed and exhaustive enquiry was conducted with the assistance of state police and judicial department to summon witnesses, record evidence and establish culpability of the accused personnel”.

“After detailed scrutiny of the complete incident and any wrong doings committed by the concerned personnel, Army has ordered court martial proceedings to take the legal process to a logical conclusion highlighting the Army’s resolve of ensuring justice with speed,” the spokesperson said.

Following the fake encounter, a Territorial Army jawan and two others were arrested by the police forces of the sccupied state, but the incident led to widespread unrest in the entire Occupied Kashmir Valley which left 123 people dead.

The ruling National Conference [arty welcomed the move and expressed hope that the court martial proceedings would be completed in a time bound manner and that the guilty soldiers and officers of the occupying Indian Army would be punished.

The police charge sheet had named Col Pathania, Maj Upinder, Maj Maurya and four others of the unit besides a Territorial Army jawan and two others for allegedly conspiring and kidnapping three youths on the pretext of giving them jobs and later killing them in the higher reaches of Kupwara, claiming they were terrorists.

The charge sheet was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Sopore.
The State police had arrested three persons Abbas Shah – the Territorial Army jawan – Basharat Lone and Abdul Hamid Bhat for alleged involvement in the encounter.

DECCAN HERALD