Indian army in occupied Kashmir has refused to participate in the inquiry being conducted by the civil administration into the killing of two innocent civilians at Bomai in Sopore on February 21, saying such a probe was not valid.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the civilian inquiry had asked the Indian Army to present before it the personnel who were involved in the killing but the Brigade Command of troops stated, through a letter, that such an inquiry was not valid under the Army Act.
The inquiry report has blamed the army personnel for shooting down the innocent civilians. Muhammad Amin Tantray and Javed Ahmed Dar were killed when troops of 22- Rashtriya Rifles fired at devotees coming from Tujar Sharief.
The incident triggered massive protests across the valley, after which the administration had ordered a time-bound magisterial inquiry into the incident within 15 days. The inquiry report, submitted by the deputy commissioner, Baramulla, had rubbished the Indian armys claim that the two civilians were killed in "crossfire" and said the troopers opened fire at the civilians, and the bullet wounds were found above the chest, which indicated that they fired with the intention to kill.