NEW DELHI – An Indian army captain was charged with killing three Kashmiricivilians in a staged encounter in Shopia district of the IllegallyOccupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) to get prize money of INR200,000.
The fake encounter occurred in July 2020 when labourers Abrar Ahmed,25,Imtiyaz Ahmed, 20, and 16-year-old Mohammed Ibrar were shot dead.
According to the Indian police charge sheet, the captain named BhoopinderSingh of 62 Rashtriya Rifles fired at the three Kashmiri youth even beforehis party could lay a cordon of the area.
It further said that two civilians — Tabish Ahmad, a resident of Shopian,and Bilal Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama — also joined the fake encounter assources of army.
“They (Captain and two civilians) purposefully destroyed evidence of a realcrime that they have committed and also have been purposefully projectingfalse information as part of a criminal conspiracy hatched between themwith a motive to grab prize money of INR200,000,” it said.
The accused captain had later showed two pistols with two magazines andother items in an attempt to prove the encounter real.
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Later in the police probe, the Special Investigation Team “recreated allthe scenes of crime” and “the route used after meeting the victims and theplace where the victims were murdered”.
After the probe, Captain Singh and the two civilians were charged sheetedunder Sections 302, 364, 201, 436, 120-B, 182 of the IPC, and Section 7/25IA Act.
According to The Hindu, a local court has already issued an order askingthe army authorities “to give their opinion whether the accused Captain betried by the Criminal Court of ordinary jurisdiction or by the CourtMartial”.
The Indian army is facing a growing backlash on social media after theinhumane act of the captain was exposed in the charge sheet.