Action against army men stayed in Patheribal case

Srinagar, Sep 15 (UNI) Staying the proceedings against the army personnel allegedly involved in the killing of five youths at Patheribal in south Kashmir, a court here has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file objections within two weeks.

Hearing the appeal of the army personnel, an Additional Sessions Judge, Srinagar, has fixed the next date of hearing for October 3 after staying the August 24 order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate.

In his order, the CJM had, on August 24, rejected the objections filed by the army in the case and had directed the army authorities to exercise their option whether it will go for court martial or the case is shifted to a sessions court for trial.

The CJM court had given two months' time to the army to take a decision.

However, the five accused Army officers from Rashtriya Rifles, whom the CBI indicted for killing five civilians in 'cold-blood', filed an appeal against the CJM's order in the Court of Principal Sessions Judge.

The Principal Sessions Judge, however, referred the appeal to an Additional Sessions Judge, Srinagar.

The counsel for the accused informed the court that CBI has produced a chargesheet before the court without seeking permission from the Union Home Ministry.

The court later stayed the proceedings and issued a notice to the CBI asking it to file objections within two weeks.

The government ordered a CBI inquiry into the incident after massive demonstrations in the entire Kashmir valley when the DNA tests confirmed that the five youths killed by the army in an encounter were civilians as identified by their family members.

The army had claimed that they killed five foreign militants, who were allegedly responsible for the killing of 40 members of the minority Sikh community at Chattisinghpora in Anantnag district when then United States President Bill Clinton had arrived in India in 2000.

A number of Sikh organisations in the state and outside have demanded a thorough probe by CBI into the killings of Sikhs after the five youths killed by the army were identified as civilians.

UNI BAS RL KN1530