Abdul Rehman Paddar, who was killed by security forces in a staged gun battle in Kashmir, was not a terrorist. According to the police official, DNA tests have confirmed Paddar was a civilian. He was a carpenter.
According to the BBC report, Paddar was reportedly detained in Srinagar in December 2006. He was killed there in custody and police described him as a Pakistani militant. Later, he was buried as a militant but people said that he was made a victim of fake encounter.
Paddar’s body was exhumed from a grave in Sumbal near Srinagar three weeks ago. The DIG of Police Farooq Ahmed has said that the charges on his killers will be filed as soon as possible.
A police official said further that the DNA samples, taken from Paddar’s body have matched with the carpenter’s relatives. It has been proved that he was killed in custody. The surety forces later declared him a militant.
He said;
We will now demand for harsh punishments for the policemen who killed Paddar in custody.
Further, the BBC has reported that police are still investigating for four other cases of staged killings in which police, paramilitary personnel and the army could be involved.
In Paddar’s killing, the SSP of Ganderbal district and a DSP and five other police officials have been arrested so far on charges of murder.
On the other hand, the army has started a separate probe into the involvement of soldiers in the fake killings.
Paddar’s family members said further that Paddar had paid 80,000 rupees to a police official, who had promised to give him a government job. On the other hand, it is alleged that the police official had claimed a reward for killing a militant.
Read
