Army man arrested, will be produced before CJM

Asking police to save precious lives, Judicial Magistrate Kupwara Mansoor Ahmad remanded the army man to two-day custody.

“We have arrested the territorial Army man Manzoor Ahmad, who allegedly had kidnapped the civilians”.

Two civilians Ghulam Jeelani Khatana son of Karamuddin and Mir Hussain Khatana son of Muhammad Ismail both residents of Kralapora Dardpora area of North Kashmir’s frontier district Kupwara are “untraceable” since November 17, the day when Indian Army launched a lengthy search operation in Manigah Haihama area.

SP Kupwara Ajaz Ahmad Bhat told KNS that the Manzoor Ahmad was arrested late last evening from Dardpora.

Police say they are investigating the case and accused was produced before the court for police remand. The police after investigation had informed the family members of three missing youths- Shezad Ahmad (27), Riyaz Ahmad (20), and Mohammad Shafi Lone (19)-that they were taken along by former Special Police Officer (SPO) Bashir Ahmad Lone, who is from the same village.

According to police, the families were reportedly in touch with Manzoor till last month who assured them that their kin were engaged in Keran as porters by the Army.

On the request to monitor the case on daily basis, the court directed the concerned SHO to supervise investigations himself and submit fresh status report about the investigations of the case on December 11.

The incident comes against the backdrop of a similar case of disappearance of three civilians in Machil area of Kupwara in 2010 which later turned out to be a case of fake encounter, sparking a mass unrest during which over 120 civilians, mostly teenagers, were killed. The Police have registered a case of abduction under section 364 of RPC. The family members perceive both Jeelani and Mir Hussain might have got killed in a fake encounter on the pattern of Machil encounter. TA soldier reported to police whenever required by them. Army denies any case of fake encounter as alluded to in some dailies. “We stand by policy of zero tolerance for human rights violations”, he said.