Challan against accused in Kashmir fake encounter killings

Srinagar, Feb 28 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Police today presented a 'challan' in a local court here against Special Operation Group (SOG) officials in connection with the fake encounter killings in the Valley.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police produced the 'challan' in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) this afternoon.

However, no media or advocates were allowed to enter the court premises while the 'challan' was being produced.

The CJM directed the police to produce the accused in the court of Principal and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, on March 8.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has also ordered a judicial probe in the fake encounter killings. However, so far, no Judge has been appointed to probe the killings.

The fake encounter killings surfaced after a police investigating team found that the Ganderbal Police was involved in the killing of carpenter Abdul Rehman Paddar in a fake encounter.

Later, the body was exhumed at Ganderbal for the DNA tests which confirmed that it was that of carpenter Paddar's, said the DIG.

Paddar was killed by the SOG in the fake encounter at Ganderbal and buried there after dubbing him a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant.

The police have arrested seven of their own people, including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hans Raj Parihar, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP-Operations) Ganderbal Bahadur Ram, ASI Gudoo, selection grade constable (driver) Farooq Ahmed Padder, Bani Lal, Zaheer Khan and Manzoor Ahmad in connection with the fake encounter killings.

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