Baramulla:
Angry villagers protested on the Kupwara-Baramulla highway against an alleged fake encounter by the Army.
Tempers ran high as the bodies of three villagers were exhumed, a month after they were killed and labelled as militants.
The three were missing a day before the killings. Their relatives claim they were lured by some Army informers.
"After we filed an FIR, an accused arrested by the police confessed that he had sold them. He has sold them. He has taken money," said Mohammad Yousf Lone, father of one of the victims.
On April 30, the Army claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid and recovered 5 AK rifles, over 200 rounds of ammunition and even Pakistani currency.
Police have filed a case of murder and kidnapping against the Army.
(Read: J&K- Murder case filed against Army for alleged fake encounter)Two special police officers and a territorial Army jawan Syed Abbas have been arrested, who allegedly collaborated with an Major of Four Rajpur Rifles.
The two SPOs have alleged that the Major paid them Rs 50,000 each to 'get' 3 villagers who would act as infiltrators.
"We are trying to identify the persons involved, the officers involved," said Farooq Ahmad, IGP, Kashmir.
The Army unit has moved out of the state, but now the commanding officer and the Major are being sent back to Kashmir to cooperate in the probe.
"We will fully cooperate in the probe into the alleged fake encounter in Kashmir involving some Armymen; whoever is guilty will be punished," said A K Antony, Defence Minister.
(Read: Army to cooperate in alleged fake encounter case probe)The state government has ordered a magisterial probe, but the Opposition isn't amused.
"The Chief Minister as the head of unified command can't escape his responsibilities in this organised racket," said Mufti Mohammad Sayed (PDP leader).
In this horrifying incident of killing for rewards that has again put Kashmir on boil, now it's not just the question of justice for victims, but also where did the arms, ammunition and Pakistan currency come from that was shown as recovery in an attempt to prove victims were terrorists.