Days after eight soldiers including a colonel were sentenced to life in Machil fake encounter case; the army has indicted nine army men including junior commissioned officer (JCO) of 53 Rashtriya Rifles in the killing of two youth Faisal Yousuf and Mehraj-u-din Dar at Chattergam in Budgam district on November 3.
"Army had ordered a Court of Inquiry to investigate the unfortunate incident in which two youth were killed at Chattergam on November 3 2014. The recording of Court of Inquiry has been completed in a speedy manner and is being processed at Headquarters Northern Command", said Colonel SD Goswami, defence spokesman at Northern Command.
Troopers of 53 Rashtriya Riffles had opened fire at a Maruti car on November 3 when they allegedly failed to stop at a check post near the village. Four people travelling in the vehicle received gunshot wounds and were shifted to the army hospital by the troopers. However two of them later succumbed to their injuries. Fifth teenager travelling in the Maruti car had a miraculous escape..
Indian army had earlier said three mobile vehicle check posts (MVCP) were established along Nowgam-Pulwama road based on the specific intelligence reports about the movement of militants.
The army had claimed that the car had not stopped on two check posts and "at the third check point, the vehicle tried to barge through the check point, resulting into a firing incident in which four persons were injured."
Later under fire, Indian army had accepted the mistake and promised action to cool the tempers in the poll bound valley. The army has also announced the compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the two slain and Rs five lakh for the two injured.
Indian army had also removed the personnel alleged to be involved in the incident and moved them to the location of the enquiry headed by the deputy commander of the Rashtriya Riffles (RR) battalion.
"Nobody came to meet us ... We learnt it through media that army was giving compensation of Rs Rs five or 10 lakhs … No one came to meet us, not even the deputy commissioner …We want Army to publically announce the punishment '', said Mohammd Yousuf, father of slain Faisal.
