New Delhi: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International India on Wednesday demanded an independent and transparent investigation into the alleged encounter of three militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district last month.
Earlier on July 18, the Indian Army had claimed three militants were killed in the higher reaches of Shopian in South Kashmir. However, no further details were shared.
Some families then lodged a written complaint saying three of their members involved in labour work were missing from the same area, following which the Indian Army reportedly initiated an inquiry into the alleged encounter.
Responding to the above, Avinash Kumar, Executive Director of Amnesty International India called for an investigation into the matter by "independent civilian authorities."
"Civilian investigations and trials offer a degree of transparency and independence," he said.
Earlier yesterday, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of Congress had also demanded an independent probe into the alleged encounter killing.
Read: Three terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian
"The circumstances demand immediate statement of facts by the authorities regarding the mystery of their death and an independent probe into the circumstances in view of the controversy so that rule of law prevails," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said.
He said the government must come out with a detailed statement about the death of three young boys, whose family members claim that they had no connection with any unlawful activity and had gone for work to Shopian.
The controversy started after the families filed a complaint with a police station in Rajouri stating that their three members were missing since July 17 from Ashimpora area of Shopian where they were working as labourers in apple and walnut orchards.
Read: Militants killed in Shopian not identified yet, bodies buried on established protocols: Army
The families, who filed the police complaint jointly, gave pictures of their kin -- Mohammed Ibrar (21), Ibrar Ahmad (18) and Imtiaz Ahmad (26) -- which were subsequently shared with the Kashmir police for investigation.
The relatives of the youths, belonging to Dhar Sakri village in Kotranka of Rajouri area in Poonch, lodged the missing report with the local police after they failed to contact the trio and news of an encounter came on July 18 from Ashimpora in Shopian.
(With inputs from PTI)
