Kashmir police register FIR against Indian army over civilians killing

SRINAGAR: Police in India-held Kashmir (IHK) registered an FIR against the Indian army, charging it with murder, attempt to murder and endangering life, over the killing of two civilians in the IHK’s Shopian district on Saturday, Indian media reported.

Two Kashmiri youths, who have been identified as Javid Bhat and Suhail Lone, were killed when army opened fire on protesters in the IHK’s southern district of Shopian.

During the incident, another youth also sustained injuries whose condition is said to be critical and admitted at the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar.

The police officials confirmed that an FIR (26/2018) was filed at the Shopian police station against the Indian army’s 10th Garhwal unit. The India media website quoted an officer as saying, “The charges under sections 302, 307 and 336 are pressed.”

According to eye witnesses’ account, the Indian forces opened fire after an altercation ensued over the security personnel’s attempt to remove posters of a martyred freedom fighter, Fareed Ahmed, in the village.

Ahmed was killed in an encounter in south Kashmir on January 24.

A complete shutter-down strike was observed in reaction to the killing in the valley. The roads were deserted and local train services across the valley came to a halt.

Restrictions on movement were also imposed in some sensitive areas of Srinagar, besides suspension of high-speed mobile internet services at day time.

Moreover, the deputy commissioner of Shopian district has been asked to probe the incident and submit a report within 20 days.

The two deaths in the district took the toll of civilian killings owing to firing by forces in Kashmir to four in the beginning month of year 2018.