After a series of media reports exposing five fake encounter killings in Kashmir, the Special Investigation Team of the J-K Police on Wednesday produced the challan against seven policemen accused of abducting and killing a carpenter at a local court here today. However, the challan does not include charges in the four other fake killings. Police sources said the policemen would be subsequently chargesheeted.

The chargesheeted seven include former Senior Superintendent of Police (Ganderbal) HR Parihar, Deputy Superintendent of Police Bahadur Ram, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Farooq Ahmad Gudoo, Selection Grade Constable Farooq Ahmad Paddar, and constables Manzoor Ahmad, Bansi Lal and Zaheer Abbas. The chargesheet was presented by SP (City South) Uttam Chand in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar. Chand is Chief Investigating Officer of the SIT.

The policemen have been charged with abducting Abdur Rehman Paddar, a carpenter of Larnoo village, and killing him in a staged encounter in Anantnag district. He was picked up by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Ganderbal Police from Batamaloo locality in Srinagar on December 8 and reportedly shot dead the following day. He was passed off as a foreign terrorist.

The seven policemen have been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and destruction of evidence. “The early presentation of the chargesheet is is the result of my team working around the clock,” Deputy Inspector General Farooq Ahmad told The Indian Express.

When asked whether the chargesheets in the four other killings would follow soon, Ahmad said he was hopeful that the investigation would be completed earlier than expected. “In Paddar’s case, only the police was involved. But in the four other cases, the Army also has a role. We have to work in collaboration with the Army,” Ahmad said. “But I am hopeful we will be able to file it soon.”

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