The accused soldier, Manzoor Ahmad Khatana of 160 Territorial Army battalion, was arrested by the police a week ago. (Representational photo)
Srinagar:
An inquiry has been ordered by the Army into the disappearance of three people from Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district who were allegedly lured by a soldier to a border area with the promise of a job in the army.
"Police is investigating the case. Army has also ordered an inquiry and if anyone in Army is found involved, strict action will be taken. We have zero tolerance towards human rights violations," said Lieutenant General Satish Dua, GOC 15 Corps.
The accused soldier, Manzoor Ahmad Khatana of 160 Territorial Army battalion, was arrested by the police a week ago after a magistrate court in Kupwara district directed the police to act against the accused.
The families of the three missing men - Ghulam Jeelani, Mir Hussain and Ali Mohmmad - have filed a police report that they were lured by Mr Khatana after promising them jobs in the Army on November 17. They say the accused soldier took them to Keran sector near the Line of Control (LoC) and since then the families are running from pillar to post to get some information about them.
Police sources say the three missing men may have crossed the LoC with the help of the accused Army jawan and there are reports that they have been arrested in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir for being Indian army spies.
On Tuesday, hundreds of people in Trehgam in Kupwara protested against the disappearances. The protesters blocked the road demanded action against the accused.
In 2010, a Territorial Army man and an Army informer lured three villagers with a promise of jobs in the Army and later killed them in a fake encounter at Machil near the LoC. The Army initially claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid after killing the three but subsequent police investigations found they were innocent civilians. Last year a court martial sent six soldiers including a commanding officer to life sentence for staging the fake encounter.
"Police is investigating the case. Army has also ordered an inquiry and if anyone in Army is found involved, strict action will be taken. We have zero tolerance towards human rights violations," said Lieutenant General Satish Dua, GOC 15 Corps.
The accused soldier, Manzoor Ahmad Khatana of 160 Territorial Army battalion, was arrested by the police a week ago after a magistrate court in Kupwara district directed the police to act against the accused.
The families of the three missing men - Ghulam Jeelani, Mir Hussain and Ali Mohmmad - have filed a police report that they were lured by Mr Khatana after promising them jobs in the Army on November 17. They say the accused soldier took them to Keran sector near the Line of Control (LoC) and since then the families are running from pillar to post to get some information about them.
Police sources say the three missing men may have crossed the LoC with the help of the accused Army jawan and there are reports that they have been arrested in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir for being Indian army spies.
On Tuesday, hundreds of people in Trehgam in Kupwara protested against the disappearances. The protesters blocked the road demanded action against the accused.
In 2010, a Territorial Army man and an Army informer lured three villagers with a promise of jobs in the Army and later killed them in a fake encounter at Machil near the LoC. The Army initially claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid after killing the three but subsequent police investigations found they were innocent civilians. Last year a court martial sent six soldiers including a commanding officer to life sentence for staging the fake encounter.
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