Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu on Wednesday said that the army opened fire into a crowd in Shopian in the face of the ‘ultimate provocation’ by a stone-pelting crowd.
The Army on Wednesday also filed a counter first information report in response to the one lodged by the Jammu and Kashmir police over the killing of two civilians in Shopian district.
Calling the FIR against the army as ‘unfortunate’, Lt Gen Anbu said that there should have been generic FIR in the matter.
“That is an unfortunate thing. In such a case a generic FIR should have been filed. I think they have prematurely put the name of an individual, I am sure when they investigate truth will come out. Notwithstanding what the state government did, we had our own inquiry and are clear that we responded when we were provoked to the ultimate,” he added.
On January 27, two youths were killed when army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob in the Ganovpora area of Shopian, prompting Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to order an inquiry into the incident.
A third succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
Police had on Sunday filed an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Ranbir Penal Code against the personnel of 10, Garhwal unit, of the Army. A Major, who led the army personnel at the time of the incident, was also named in the FIR.
The divisional administration ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.
With agency inputs.
IMAGE: Protesters throw stones on security forces amid tear smoke during a protest against the alleged killing of two youth in Army firing in Shopian district of South Kashmir, in Srinagar on Sunday. Photograph: S Irfan/PTI Photo
Source: Rediff