Army digs up more trouble

Under fire for the death of five civilians from Bandipora, the Army landed itself in another spot today when it admitted the body of a man, ...

Under fire for the death of five civilians from Bandipora, the Army landed itself in another spot today when it admitted the body of a man, shot by security personnel and exhumed after a public outcry, was not that of a Pakistan-based militant as was believed earlier.

The Army claimed Mohammad Shafi Cheche was a ‘‘local militant’’ and they had recovered ‘‘some arms’’ from him. ‘‘There was some identification error which made him out to be a Pakistani militant. But we have now confirmed that Cheche was a local militant killed in an encounter,’’ an Army spokesman said.

But residents of Panhar village in Bandipora, who forced exhumation of the body after lodging a police report, are accusing the Army of killing Cheche last week and passing him off as Sadiq, a militant from Pakistan.

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Cheche’s relatives, who lodged a missing report, alleged he was picked up by troops on February 5 from his in-law’s house at Kamanthar and taken to neighbouring Hudbal where he was shot.

Police officials said when Cheche did not return home to Panhar, his relatives, who had heard of a militant being killed in the area, approached the police and demanded that the body be exhumed.

The Baramulla deputy commissioner today got the body exhumed and, on spotting it, Cheche’s widow and brother broke down. Cheche’s widow had described the clothes her husband was wearing the day he disappeared and also mentioned the scars on his limbs. It tallied with those on the body.

Samples were lifted for DNA tests. Kashmir IGP K Rajendra Kumar said the body was exhumed as ‘‘some people claimed the body was that of a near one and not of a militant.’’

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‘‘A police and medical team was there when the body was exhumed. Some samples were taken for DNA testing. It is mandatory to do so for any conclusive evidence,’’ he said, adding that the body was buried again at the same spot.