JAMMU, January 31: The State Government and the Army today ordered separate probes into yesterday's incident at Qadarnah village - in the Marwah area of Doda district - in which security forces shot seven Muslim villagers.The official version is that the Army and the police fired in "self-defence" when an angry crowd of Muslims, some of them returning after Id prayers, resisted combing operations and tried to snatch weapons from the security personnel.The toll today rose to nine and about 40 persons are reported to be injured. Seven who are in a critical state have been flown to the Government Medical College here. However, the Defence spokesman put the death toll at seven without saying anything about the injured.The spokesman said that the authorities have "expressed deep anguish that such an unfortunate incident has occurred on a holy day." And that anyone found guilty of "willful misconduct" would be dealt with severely in accordance with the provisions of "military law".District Magistrateof Doda Lokesh Jha has also ordered an inquiry into the incident to be conducted by the Sub-Divisional-Magistrate (SDM) of Kishtwar. Jha said that the administration has decided to pay relief of Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of those killed. As for the injured, the amount of relief, Jha said, will depend on the nature of their injuries.The killing has shocked the entire district with people observing bandhs at various places today. In Kishtwar, all shops and government offices remained closed. Similar reports were received from other places in the district.Muslim residents also observed a bandh at Talab Khatikan and Gujjar Nagar localities of Jammu city in protest against the firing. So far, there have been no reports of violence during the bandh.Food supplies and Transport Minister Bashir Ahmed Kitchloo, who hails from Kishtwar tehsil, and senior Army officials flew to the site of the killings. Tension gripped Marwah area at that time as there were no doctors to treat theinjured, eyewitnesses said.Some of them said that one Ahad Lone succumbed to injuries for want of treatment this morning. To reach Qadarnah village, one has to trek about 100 km from Kishtwar, a journey which takes about three days across inhospitable terrain which is now covered with snow.Said one of the injured Ghulam Rasool: "We have repeatedly demanded the government to post doctors in the area but nothing has happened yet."
