All slain booked on Army’s complaint in Shopian case

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 6

After an Army Major filed a complaint, the police have registered a case of attempt to murder against the persons killed in a shootout in Shopian on Sunday evening.

The Army in its docket (complaint) to the police immediately after the incident, which left six persons dead, said apart from a militant, three persons were killed in the initial shootout. It said the three persons were “probably” overground workers (OGWs).

In his complaint, Major Parveen Menon of 44 Rashtriya Rifles said the Army had set up a mobile vehicle check-post near a school at Pahnoo on Sunday evening when two cars tried to run through the check-post. “The troops at the check-post challenged the occupants of the cars but they did not stop and instead fired from inside the car on the troops, with the intent to kill them. In the exchange of fire between the Army men and the occupants of the cars, one militant was killed and probably three OGWs were killed and one weapon was recovered,” Major Menon said.

The FIR, a copy of which is with The Tribune, says the complaint was verbally corroborated with the contents of the written report.

“The contents of report have been read out to the complainant. The written report and verbal disclosure of the complaint attract offences under Section 307 (attempt to murder), Ranbir Ranbir Penal Code, and Sections 7/27 of the Arms Act. Hence an FIR is registered and investigation entrusted to a Sub-Inspector,” the FIR read. It further said the case was of a special nature. A senior police officer said the FIR had been registered in the case. “This is just a first information report. Various versions, including that of the Army, eyewitnesses and relatives of the deceased would be included in the investigation,” he said.

Recently, the police was involved in a controversy after it lodged an FIR against an Army unit when three civilians were killed on January 27 in Army firing in Shopian district. On March 5, the J&K Government told the Supreme Court that Major Aditya Kumar had not been named in the FIR in connection with the incident.