Jammu:
In what could be a major embarrassment for the police and Army, it now turns out that one of the so-called 'Lashkar militants' killed in an encounter less than 24 hours ago, was not really a militant but a civilian resident of Poonch.
Army sources now say that their whole operation was based on an input from two men - one from the Special Operation Group of the police and the other from the Army. Based on their information, the Army launched the operation and killed him.
Both the men have been arrested. During their interrogation, the two men said they found the mentally disturbed man roaming in a market in Rajouri; they took him along and conducted the fake encounter to earn favours from seniors.
Independent inquires have been ordered by the police and the Army into the incident.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has, meanwhile, strongly condemned the killing of the civilian saying the guilty should be arrested. He also said that the Army and the police were misled. (
Watch)