Investigating whether slain youth were OGWs: DGP

Srinagar, Mar 05: As the Army has claimed that four youth killed in Shopian firing were OGWs, the State Police Chief Monday said that police has started the investigation in the incident and it will be probed whether the slain youth were OGWs.
“Investigation is on in the case. Everything will be cleared and the case will be thoroughly investigated. We will see if the youth killed in firing had any affiliation with militant outfits,” the DGP told KNS over phone from Jammu.
The Director General of Police, however, refused to divulge any further details about the investigation. “We just began the investigations. Nothing can be said about investigation yet,” he said.
When asked whether the police have registered any case in the incident, the DGP said that whenever any incident takes place, the case is registered. “Whenever any incident takes place police has to register a case. It is matter of investigation. We will come to know what is truth,” the DGP, maintained.
Vaid appealed people to maintain peace. “I appeal the people to maintain peace and have faith on the Police as the police has begun the investigation,” he maintained and added that the situation was under control.
Further commenting on the firing incident, the DGP said that the police have recovered the dead bodies of two militants along with two weapons; other arms and ammunition were also recovered from the possession of the militants, who fired upon a joint check-point of the security forces last night.
Earlier in the day talking to reporters in Jammu, the DPG while commenting on the return of a youth from militant ranks to his family, expressed hope that more women would make an appeal for their sons’ return.
“You have seen six bodies are lying (in Shopian). Taking up arms or joining terrorism only lead to loss of life and nothing can be achieved,” he said.
On Sunday, two militant and four civilians who the army claimed were overground workers (OGWs) of militants were killed in army firing after a mobile vehicle check post (MVCP) of 54 Rashtriya Rifles was fired at.
However, the villagers refuted the army claim and said the four slain men were civilians and not OGWs.
“On Sunday evening militants attacked army vehicle in Pahnoo village. The army in retaliation killed a militant and later shot dead four civilians who were traveling in a car,” a local, wishing not to be named has told the newspapers.