Probe of ‘July 18 Shopian encounter’: on, will ensure justice: LG Sinha

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday said that a separate probe is being conducted by the army and administration into the July 18 Amshipora, Shopian encounter in which three Rajouri youth were allegedly killed in a stage managed gunfight, and that he will ensure there is no injustice.
Replying to a query in a press conference at Rajbhawan here, the LG said: “A probe by the administration and the army is underway. I will ensure that there is no injustice.” The LG’s announcement has renewed the hope among the three families of Rajouri district who have been claiming that the trio killed in Amshipora, Shopian encounter on July 18 were their sons, who were working in the district as labourers and that they were killed in a fake gunfight.
Pertinently, on September 11, three Rajouri families wrote to LG Sinha for his personal intervention regarding Amshipora incident as according to them, there “was an unnecessary delay in probing the incident.”
Families also threatened to march towards Kashmir division to take dead bodies of their loved ones back on their own stating that even after passing of a month since the DNA samples of six family members were collected, there was no word from the administration whether samples had matched with the slain youth.
Three youth namely Arbar Ahmad, Imtiyaz Ahmad and Abrar Ahmad who left home on 17 July were killed in an alleged staged encounter at Amshipora, Shopian on 18 July and after losing contact for several days, families lodged missing report at concerned police station.
Later families demanded DNA sampling after which samples of 6 members of three families were taken on 13 August, however, even after passage of one month since DNA samples were taken, families along with others are waiting for DNA report. Army had been stating that it had ordered a court of inquiry and proceedings were going on to find out whether there was any lapse. Police have been also probing the incident at its own level