Police had earlier pressed murder charges and lodged an FIR against the whole unit of army for killing two civilians in Shopian
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Monday staged a protest in Srinagar against the killing of two civilians in army firing in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Scores of JRL leaders and activists staged a protest in Abi Guzar area of Srinagar and protested against the killings.
The protesters rued the silence of the UN over the civilian killings in Kashmir. Javed Ahmad Bhat and Suhail Javid Lone were killed after army opened fire on protesters in Ganowpora village on Saturday.
The opposition demanded arrest of the army-men involved. “The government should arrest all the army personnel named in the FIR,” opposition leader Ali Sagar said while speaking in the Assembly during the discussion on Shopian killings.
The police had lodged an FIR and pressed murder charges.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Mehbooba had said, “the Army would not be demoralized by registration of a single FIR. There can be black sheep in army also.”
Earlier PDP’s alliance partner BJP’s R S Pathani had said that the FIR should be withdrawn and a fresh one be lodged without naming anyone. As soon as the proceedings of the house started, the opposition demanded a discussion on the killings. After much furor and CM’s intervention, the speaker allowed the discussion.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on had said that when the government has already lodged an FIR against the Shopian murders, ordering a magisterial probe into the murders has confused the case. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Omar had said, “Magisterial probe is ordered only if the culprits are unidentified while in this case the names were clearly mentioned in the FIR.”
