Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the killing of a man by security forces in an alleged “fake encounter” in Ganderbal. His office stated that the probe would examine all aspects of the incident and ensure that justice is delivered.
The decision followed concerns raised by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti regarding the encounter that took place on Tuesday night.
According to reports, the family of the deceased, Rashid Ahmad Mughal, maintained that he had no links to militancy and called for an investigation. Abdullah said the family’s claims should not be ignored and emphasised the need for a transparent and time-bound probe, warning that any delay or lack of clarity could undermine credibility, Scroll.in reported.
Mufti also referred to allegations that the encounter may have been staged, noting that there appeared to be inconsistencies in the official account about the man’s identity.
Senior Superintendent of Police Khalil Ahmad Poswal said they were verifying whether the deceased had any militant background. A senior officer stated that it was an Army-led operation and that a weapon had been recovered, while also mentioning that the man’s brother was in Pakistan.
A defence spokesperson reportedly said that the matter was sensitive and that the facts would emerge through the investigation, while cautioning against drawing conclusions based solely on family claims.
Earlier, the Army’s XV Corps had said that a joint operation with the Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched in the Arahama area of Ganderbal based on specific intelligence inputs. It stated that troops came under fire from suspected militants during the search operation and responded accordingly, resulting in the killing of one individual.