Sikhs living-in-Kashmir demand fresh probe in Chitisinghpura massacre

Srinagar, Mar. 31 (ANI): Sikhs living in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest demanding fresh probe into Chitisinghpura massacre in which unidentified gunmen killed 35 Sikhs on March 20, 2000 in Anantnag.

"We have been asking for fresh enquiry for several years. Today ten years have passed, a few days back we had gone to Chitisinghpura as well to demand fresh probe," said Jagmohan Singh, Coordinator, All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee.

On March 20, 2000, around 15 to 17 unidentified gunmen dressed in Indian army fatigues entered the village of Chattisinghpora and ordered all the Sikh men and boys to assemble at the village Sikh shrine and systematically shot and killed 35 of them.

On March 24, 2000, police and the army claimed to have gunned down five Lashkar-e-Taiba militants near Pathribal, involved in the Chattisinghpora massacre.

But villagers accused the troops of staging a fake encounter.

The then Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, ordered a high-level probe into the incident.

In 2006, the CBI found five Indian military officers guilty.

Later, the Supreme Court stayed till further orders the criminal trial against the five officers. (ANI)