SRINAGAR: Authorities have appealed to people to come forward with any information regarding the killing of five people at Gagran village of Shopian in south Kashmir on September 7 and 11.
The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir has appointed Shopian District Magistrate, Bashir Ahmad Bhat as inquiry officer.
The government has said that a Judicial inquiry, conducted by a sitting judge of the High Court, may be ordered in case the facts are not established.
Four youths were shot dead by the CRPF outside their camp in Gagren village on September 7 while another was killed during a shutdown four days later.
The CRPF has denied the later killing and also said the four youth slain earlier were militants who attacked their camp.
The police said three of the youth killed that day were not militants but civilians. The fourth, they said, was a non-local militant of the Lashkar e Toiba outfit.
However, a senior Congress leader and former minister Ghulam Hassan Khan alleged that the fourth deceased was a Bihari labourer, shot dead “because he was an eyewitness to the unprovoked firing”.
An official spokesman said “any person having knowledge about the firing incidents…and desiring to share it with the appointed inquiry officer, can do it from tomorrow (Monday) till September 21 from 1100 hrs to 1500 hrs every day …statements shall be deposed orally or in the form of affidavit.”
He said people will be informed about recording of statements through print and electronic media also.
The government has also asked the police to come clear on the fourth youth.
Meanwhile the police has decided to send the SIM card and SKYPE details of the unidentified youth to Forensic Lab, Chandigarh to ascertain his identity.
