Shopian encounter: Army finds ‘prima facie’ evidence against troops, initiates disciplinary proceedings

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 18

The Army on Friday said the probe into the Amshipora Shopian gunfight has brought out certain prima facie evidence indicating that powers vested under the AFSPA 1990 were exceeded during the operation.

“Consequently, the competent disciplinary authority has directed to initiate disciplinary proceedings under the Army Act against those found prima facie answerable,” read an Army statement.

On July 18, Army had said three unidentified militants who had fired at the soldiers were killed in a gunfight in Amshipora Shopian. A month later, three families in Rajouri in Jammu division, claimed that the slain were three missing cousins who had travelled to Shopian to work as labourers but were killed in a staged encounter.

The police collected the DNA samples on August 13 and families are awaiting the results.

The Army identified the three alleged militants killed as residents of Rajouri.

“The evidence collected by the inquiry has prima facie 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.

“Indian Army is committed to ethical conduct of operations. Further updates on the case will be given periodically without affecting due process of the law of the land,” it said.