An army officer shot dead three unarmed civilians in Indian-administeredKashmir to claim a cash reward for killing separatists, policeinvestigators say.
Captain Bhoopendra Singh — who was charged with murder and conspiracy inlate December over the July killing of the three labourers — staged a gunbattle hoping to be rewarded with Rs2 million ($27,200), according to partof a police charge sheet seen by AFP on Monday.
Singh and two civilian associates claimed the trio were armed, but a policeinvestigation alleged he planted weapons on the men to make them look likemilitants.
Government forces are paid up to $27,000 by authorities for killingmilitants. The rewards are offered by the government, rather than military.
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Rights activists warn the financial incentives have led to extra-judicialkillings of innocent people. “Legal impunity… combined with the policy ofcash rewards is likely to continue to lead to staged gun battles in whichinnocent civilians are killed,” a leading human rights lawyer, ParvezImroz, said.
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