DNA samples of trio killed in Shopian on July 18 match with families: Jammu & Kashmir Police

Days after the Army initiated disciplinary proceedings against its men, involved in an alleged fake encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on July 18, the DNA sample reports of the three slain persons have matched with that of their parents.

“We have received the DNA sample results of three families of Rajouri and they have matched with those killed in Amshipora, Shopian,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said, while addressing a press conference here.

He said they will now take the further course of action and complete the remaining formalities.

On July 18, the Army had claimed that three unidentified militants were killed in Amshipora village in the higher reaches of south Kashmir’s Shopian. A day after the encounter, police said that the process of identification of the slain militants is underway while “the bodies were sent to Baramulla for last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities.”

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, security forces are not handing over the bodies of the militants to families for last rites, instead burying them discreetly at faraway places.

However, the Amshipora encounter came under scrutiny after three families from the Rajouri district of Jammu region claimed that the three killed were their kin and labourers by profession. Following these claims, the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police ordered separate inquiries into the matter.

The DNA samples of the families were lifted on August 13 and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination and comparison with the “three unidentified slain militants”. A police team from Kashmir had visited Rajouri and collected DNA samples of the parents of three youth. It is after a gap of 40 days that the DNA samples matched between the families and the slain youth.

On September 18, the Army said it has found “prima facie” evidence that its troops “exceeded” powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and has initiated disciplinary proceedings.

Soon after the Army’s statement, the families of slain youth had demanded immediate exhumation of the bodies of their loved ones for proper burial at Rajouri. The three families from Rajouri had identified their sons through pictures that went viral on social media.