Srinagar, April 2 – Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, on Thursday demanded a transparent and time-bound investigation into the encounter in the Ganderbal district, in which reportedly one terrorist was killed.
J&K Chief Minister Abdullah on Thursday called for a transparent and time-bound investigation into a recent encounter in Ganderbal, stating that the claims made by the family of the deceased should not be dismissed without proper investigation.
"I believe the family's claims should not be dismissed out of hand. At the very least, this encounter needs a transparent and time-bound investigation with the facts made public," Chief Minister Abdullah said on X.
He added that any delay or lack of clarity in ordering an inquiry could affect public confidence.
"Any attempt to delay the announcement of an investigation will only damage credibility, and that is not in anyone's interest," Chief Minister Abdullah said.
These remarks came after family members of the deceased claimed that the person killed in the encounter was not a militant but a civilian, and demanded an independent investigation into the incident.
The family has sought a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the killing, maintaining that the victim was a civilian.
The Army's Srinagar-headquartered Chinar Corps had said in its official X handle yesterday, "Based on specific intelligence input, a joint search operation was launched by the #IndianArmy and @JmuKmrPolice in the area of Arahama in Ganderbal.
"During the search, vigilant troops observed suspicious activity. When challenged, the terrorists opened fire, and the troops retaliated. The operation is ongoing."
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were deployed to locate the terrorists in the area, as additional troops were rushed to ensure that the surviving terrorist/terrorists could not escape from the cordoned-off area. The adjacent villages of Haripora, Bonzla, and Yarmuqam were brought under the operation to strengthen the cordon around the Arhama village.
Ganderbal district in North Kashmir has been known to be free of any terrorist presence, and the encounter on Tuesday was a matter of concern for the security forces.
The security forces are under strict instructions to ensure that no civilian life or property is harmed or damaged during anti-terrorist operations in J&K.
Any dereliction of duties regarding these instructions are dealt with very seriously by the Indian Army, the J&K Police, and the security forces.