SRINAGAR, 29 January 2007 — The ax fell yesterday on two local police officers who were arrested and a district police chief and his deputy were removed from duties in connection with the mysterious disappearance of a local here on Dec. 8, 2006.
A police spokesman said yesterday that Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, assistant sub-inspector of police and Farooq Ahmad Paddar, a selection grade constable, had been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a villager identified as Abdul Rehman Paddar, a resident of village Larnoo near the south Kashmir health resort of Kokernag in Anantnag district.
He said family members of Abdul Rehman Paddar lodged a missing report on Jan. 23 with police station Batmaloo in the summer capital Srinagar. The report said Rehman had gone missing from the Batmaloo area of the city on Dec. 8 last year.
The FIR also said Rehman was in possession of a mobile phone when he went missing.
The police has recovered Rahman’s mobile phone from the possession of a youth who told investigators that he had been given the mobile phone by police assistant sub-inspector, Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, presently posted in counterinsurgency, Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Ganderbal district.
The government yesterday evening also ordered attachment of H.R. Parihar, SP Ganderbal and Bahadur Ram, deputy SP (SOG) Ganderbal to the office of the Kashmir zone police chief, S.M. Sahai.
Meanwhile, police used tear gas and batons yesterday to disperse Shiites as they marched in a procession, police and witnesses said.
More than 20 people were wounded, they said. “God is Greatest, there is no god but Allah,” the marchers, led by activists of a separatist group, shouted in Srinagar, most beating their chests with fists.
