CRPF Suspends Four Troops over Firing
The paramilitary CRPF on Thursday issued suspension letters to four troops, including an assistant commandant, a day after one Ghulam Mohiuddin Malik died of gunshot wounds after the troops allegedly opened unprovoked fire in the Kheegam village of Pulwama in South Kashmir, say media reports.
The troops will remain under suspension till an inquiry into the incident is completed.
The CRPF action came after an FIR was lodged against the security forces and local police demanded that the accused troops be identified in order to complete the probe into the killing of Malik, a 35 year old carpenter.
“The CRPF has suspended one assistant commandant and three constables allegedly involved in the firing incident in which one villager unfortunately lost his life,” B. Srinivas, inspector general of police was quoted as saying by the IANS on Thursday.
According to media reports, attributing the info to local residents in Kheegam, Malik died of bullet wounds he sustained after patrol troops from the 181 CRPF battalion opened fire without provocation.
“A CRPF patrol had gone to the village for searches on specific information about the presence of militants. The patrol was fired upon by militants and they returned the fire. The body of one person was recovered from the spot,” CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi was quoted as saying by correspondents.
Coinciding with union Home Minister P Chidambaram’s visit to the state, the killing sparked protests in the Pulwama area.
Meanwhile, Kheegam continues to remain tense with protesters refusing to bury the body till the guilty were not brought to book.
