Govt denies fake encounters in Pulwama

Jammu, Feb 7 (UNI) Rejecting the opposition claim that security forces had gunned down three innocent youths in an encounter in September last year in Pulwama district, the Jammu and Kashmir Government today said the deceased were later identified as active militants.

Minister for CAPD Taj Mohi-ud-Din told the Legislative Assembly, in reply to a calling attention notice, the youth were working for various militant outfits and FIRs against them were registered in various police stations.

The Minister said, ''The security forces killed two militants in an encounter on September 7 last year and arms and ammunition including grenades, magazines and pistols were recovered from their possessions.'' They could not be identified and therefore, were handed over to local Auqaf for their last rites, he said adding that after two days some civilians from Poonch and Rajouri claimed the deceased were their relatives.

He said, on the orders of DM Pulwama, bodies of the deceased were exhumed under the supervision of a medical team headed by Dy CMO and Executive Magistrate after being identified as Mohammad Rashid and Mushtaq Ahmad Zarger ''On further inquiries, it was reported that deceased Mushtaq Ahmad Zarger was working as an over-ground worker since the year 2000 and was wanted in many cases lodged in Police station Surankote,'' the Minister said.

Zarger had also been detained under PSA for two years. The other deceased Abdul Rashid Chopan was a close aide of Mushtaq Ahmad Zarger and was a staunch worker of the Muslim League.

UNI