Though the family crossed over the border in early '90s, they were declared dead and an ex-gratia of Rs 6 lakh given away.

The money has been siphoned off from the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) reimbursed by the Central Government to the state. The relief was sanctioned in favour of six persons of the family, shown dead in the relief records at Deputy Commissioner's office at Kupwara.

According to the records in the relief section, the six members of the family were killed on May 15,1993 and the FIR no 15/97 was `lodged' on March 8, 1997. The ex-gratia relief was sanctioned on September 15, 1997. The `FIR' attached with the case file says six persons of the family were killed by militants in Shalbhatovillage in March 1993.

However, the records don't say whether any police or revenue official ever visited the village to ascertain the facts. And there are no explanations as to why the FIR was filed four years after the ``murder.''

The fact is: No such FIR has been registered in Police station Kupwara or Trehgam, as shown in the records. Enquiries by The Indian Express

revealed that FIR no 15/97 is regarding a family dispute which was registered in January 19,1997 .

The ex-gratia relief has been issued vide endorsement number 896-900-DCK/R/30, September 15, 1997, sanctioned by a former Deputy Commissioner against six persons ``killed by the militants'' in 1993.

The ``beneficiaries'' include Zaib-ud-din Mir, his wife Meva Jan, two sons Ali Mohammad and Nisar Ahmad, daughter Jamila and daughter-in-law,Khatooni. All of them were part of 29 families, of Shalbhato village in Jumgund sector near LoC, who migrated to PoK in March 1990. They are living in a Muhajir Camp at Kotli Muzafarabad. TheCamp was established by the Pakistani Government for the ``victims of Indian forces'' who migrated to PoK during militancy.

Sources said that Shalbhato had a population around 200, who crossed over the border in March 1990. Most of the men in this Gujjar village, sources, were working as `militant guides' to facilitate infiltration through this border strip.

Shamsuddin Khatana, a former militant from neighbouring Awoora village, said he had seen the family in Muzaffarabad in PoK in 1991 along with other villagers. Another surrendered militant Ghulam Nabi Khan alias Nab Guide, also confirmed that the family had migrated along with other villagers in March 1990. He claimed to have met the family at a Mohajir camp in 1993.

An inquiry commission ordered by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, has recently detected the misappropriation of Rs 2.55 crore in the ex-gratia relief meant for the Kashmiri Pandit migrants. It had fixed the responsibility on former deputy commissioner Kupwara, Shah Latief.However, the Commission had given a clean chit to the distribution of ex-gratia relief to victims of militancy in the district.

The report said: ``The ex-gratia relief cases of non-migrants have properly sanctioned by the authorities''.

When contacted, SSP Kupwara, Manmohan Singh, confirmed that there was no FIR relating to the killing of six persons belonging to Shalbhato village. He said that since the entire village had migrated to PoK in 1990, the question of the killings in 1993 does not arise.

Singh said he would investigate the matter.

Sources said the ex-gratia relief case of the family living in PoK points to the involvement of some police, revenue and BSF officials. They said a fictitious FIR had been included in the relief case to justify the sanction order, and added that there were a number of such fake relief cases in Kupwara.

However, it is very difficult to detect them as such cases have ``all relevant documents'' attached to the records.