Fake encounter case next hearing fixed for Mar 17

Srinagar, Mar 8 (UNI) A local court today fixed March 17 as the next date of hearing of the fake encounter case after directing five of the seven accused police officials to engage lawyers for their defence.

However, two accused police officials through their counsel challenged the Law Department's decision to engage Special Prosecuting Officers (SPO).

Advocate Manzoor the defence counsel for two of the accused Farooq Ahmad Padroo and Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, said only state cabinet and Governor had the powers to appoint SPOs.

The Principal and Sessions Judge, Srinagar, said since it was debatable issue it could be taken up on next hearing.

No defence counsel appeared on behalf of other five accused police officials. However, the judge directed them to engage their counsel before the next hearing, when the formal trial will start.

The police have arrested seven of its officials--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.

When the accused police officials complained that they were not being allowed to meet their families, the court directed the police to allow them to meet their family members.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had presented a 'challan' in a court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) on February 28 aginst them in connection with the fake encounter killings in the Valley.

However, 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 in the Valley 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, four bodies, including that of Paddar were exhumed for DNA tests.

Paddar was killed by the SOG in the fake encounter at Ganderbal and buried there after dubbing him a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant. Simiarly, other three civilians were also killed by the accused officials in fake encounters.

UNI