Police Assures Fair Probe In Professional Manner, Political Parties Seek Transparent Investigation As Army Says Duo Killed In Militant Firing
M S Nazki
Jammu, Dec 16 (GNS): Massive protests erupted in Rajouri after two civilians were killed and another was injured in a firing incident near an army camp in the district on Friday. The protesters relented and allowed traffic on Jammu-Poonch highway after hours of demonstration following assurances of a fair probe by civil administration and police’s top officers headed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Haseeb Mughal.
“Immediately after the incident police reached the spot and shifted the injured person to hospital. FIR has been registered and a thorough probe in a professional manner will be done and details would be shared,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Haseeb Mughal told reporters.
“There was some agitation and members of civil administration, police and security forces persuaded the people with the assurance that a fair probe will be done” he said.
Kamal Kishore son of R Ram and Surinder Kumar son of Om Parkash, both residents of Phayalana ward No. 15 Rajouri and both in their late 30s, were killed while Anil Kumar from Uttarakhand was injured, officials told GNS.
Army said that there was firing incident by “terrorists” near military hospital Rajouri and two individuals were killed.
“In an early morning firing incident by unidentified terrorists at Rajauri near Military Hospital, there has been fatal casualty of two individuals,” army said in a tweet, adding, “The Police, security forces and civil administration officials are on the site.” However the protesting people contested the claim and continued with protest by carrying bodies of the duo and blocked the Jammu-Poonch highway for many hours, demanding a probe into the matter and adequate compensation to the families of the victims.
The protesters relented only after senior administration, army and police officials assured them of action, including registration of FIR. As per the DIG the bodies were taken to the Rajouri Government Medical College for postmortem and other legal formalities.
Also Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Vikas Kundal, Deputy General Officer Commanding (GOC) 25-Infantry Division Brigadier S Malik and SSP Rajouri Mohammad Aslam Chouldhary pacified the protesters.
While Kundal assured the demonstrators of a magisterial probe, Malik said the army will extend full support in the investigation.
The deputy commissioner also assured ex-gratia relief, according to norms, to the kin of those killed.
Meanwhile, National Conference, PDP and JKPC demanded a fair and impartial prove, BJP assured that “guilty will be punished.”
Condemning the incident NC president Farooq Abdullah said, “The public perception on the killings is inconsistent with that of the army. Therefore it is imperative for the government to ascertain the circumstances that led to the two fatal casualties.
He said independent and impartial probe into the killings should be initiated. “Civilian killings call for outright condemnation and cannot be condoned on any ground whatsoever,” he said as per the statement issued to GNS.
The Party President also expressed sympathies with bereaved households and asked the government to reach out to them with Ex-gratia and rehabilitation packages. He also prayed for swift and complete injury to the other person who has sustained grave injuries in the fateful incident, he said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti took to twitter and said that “tragic that two innocent lives were lost allegedly due to firing by the army.”
“An impartial probe must be carried out to ensure that culprits are punished and justice is served,” she said.
BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina said he will take up the issue with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and assured the victims’ families of a fair investigation in the incident.
“It is a grave incident and I talked to the concerned army, police and civil officers who assured that it will be investigated and the guilty will be punished,” he said.
Peoples Conference also strongly condemned the killing of two civilians and demanded a “transparent and time bound probe into the incident.”
“The killing of two unarmed civilians in Rajouri is highly unfortunate and condemnable. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved family”, PC Spokesperson said in a statement. (GNS)
