While the Army stated unidentified terrorists Saturday morning fired outside the army camp leading to the killing of two persons, the BJP terms the incident as “unfortunate” “sad” and “intolerable” saying the investigation will be ordered into the incident. The BJP president Ravinder Raina says he has full faith in the Army and it will provide justice to the victims families in its own Court of Inquiry.
“In an early morning firing incident by unidentified terrorists at Rajouri near Military Hospital, there has been a fatal casualty of two individuals. The police, security forces, and civil administration officials are on the site,” the army on Saturday morning said.
In the incident, Kamal Kishore and Surinder Kumar, both residents of Falyana of Rajouri were killed.
Another person Anil Kumar of Uttarakhand was wounded in the incident. After the incident, locals, carrying the bodies of Kamal Kishore and Surinder Kumar, blocked the Jammu-Poonch National Highway for nearly seven hours raising doubt over the statement of the Army and demanding a probe. However, they agreed to hand over the bodies to the police after senior Army and police officials assured them of action, including registration of FIR. The bodies were taken to the Rajouri Government Medical College for post-mortem.
The DIG Dr. Haseeb Mughal said the police have registered an FIR in the case and will go for a thorough probe of the incident. Mughal said the police and other security agencies played a positive role in persuading the agitated people and stopping the violence. He said after the assurance of the police and the administration the bodies were handed over by people to the police. “We are assuring people of a fair probe in the matter,” Dr. Mughal said.
The political parties have also demanded a probe into the incident.
The BJP president Ravinder Raina described it as a very sad incident. “This is a very serious matter. It is a very sad incident. Whosoever will be found guilty in the incident, they will be taken to the task,” Raina said. “There were some inputs that terrorists have infiltrated and the army was conducting a search operation. At about 6:30 (Saturday) these youths were going towards the canteen when this unfortunate incident happened,” Raina said.
He said Indian Army keeps “high standards whenever there are allegations or complaints over some certain issues.” “Even we have witnessed in the past when two youths who were gunned down in Shopian (by the army on July 2020) the Army took swift action against all those involved in the killing. “We have a very high belief in the Indian Army. Indian Army is for our defense,” Raina said. He said the Army would investigate the incident. “The Army has its own Court of Inquiry and under it, the action will be taken in this incident.”
“We have full sympathy with the victim families and the government would provide adequate compensation to the victim families. It is a very sad incident and intolerable,” he added. Raina said both the killed persons were known to him and were working in the canteen. “There were inputs of two infiltrators in the sector and it seems there has been some misunderstanding. We have full faith in the Army and we are proud of the Army. But whenever such incidents happen the Army conducts its own court of Inquiry. In the Shopian case, they ordered even Court Martial. We have full faith in the Army and in the Army’s own Court Inquiry the victim families will get justice,” Raina said.
