DNA samples of the three youths killed in a joint operation of the Army and the police in Shopian on July 18 matched the samples taken from the three families of missing youth from Rajouri, the police said on Friday.
“DNA sample results of the three families of Rajouri have matched those killed in Amshipora of Shopian. We will now take further course of action and complete the remaining formalities,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said at a press conference in Srinagar.
It took the police around 40 days to match the DNA samples of the families with the slain youth, described as “unidentified terrorists” earlier. The Rajouri families, however, disputed the claims of the security forces and asserted that they were labourers and on the way home from the Shopian route.
On September 18, the Army’s inquiry also established that the Shopian operation contravened the dos and don’ts of the Chief of Army Staff approved by the Supreme Court and exceeded the powers vested under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
The Army has initiated disciplinary proceedings under the Army Act against those found prima facie answerable.
Political parties of J&K on Friday demanded action in the case.
“The Shopian encounter was staged, wherein innocent labourers were murdered and passed off as militants. Now is the test for the administration to ensure justice to the families by taking the case to its logical conclusion. It should be a repeat of Pathribal and Machil cases. The policy to incentivise killings breeds instances of murder for medals”, Peoples Democratic Party spokesman Suhail Bukhari said.
Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone said, “It is not [for] the first time and not the last time. There is no deterrence”.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari appreciated the role of police in conducting a fair investigation into the matter so far. “Such cases must be probed without any bias. The role of local collaborators who provide concocted information to security forces in lieu of some remuneration should also be exposed”, he said.
