SRINAGAR, 1 March 2007 — Authorities in Indian Kashmir charged seven policemen yesterday with killing a civilian in a fake gunbattle and passing him off as a militant, police said.
Police in the insurgency-torn state have been accused of murdering civilians in staged gunbattles and earning rewards and promotions meant for killing militants. “All seven policemen have been charged with criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and destruction of evidence in the murder of carpenter Abdul Rehman Padder,” police official Uttam Chand told reporters.
The seven accused are H.R. Parihar, senior superintendent of police (Ganderbal), Bahadur Ram, deputy superintendent, Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, assistant sub-inspector, Farooq Ahmad Paddar, selection grade constable, and Manzoor Ahmad, Zaheer Abbas and Bansi Lal, all constables.
Police said they are also investigating four other cases of death in alleged fake shootouts.
Last month, five bodies, including Padder’s, were exhumed in connection with investigations into charges of staged gunbattles.
A DNA test report confirmed last week that one of the bodies was that of the 35-year-old Padder, a father of five.
