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| India-Pakistan |
| Kashmir protesters in body snatch |
| 2007-02-01 |
| Thousands of protesters in Indian-administered Kashmir have snatched the body of a civilian as it was being exhumed by police. The body of Abdul Rehman Paddar was being exhumed in Sumbal area after being identified by his family so that medics could take DNA samples. Two policemen have been arrested for killing Mr Paddar in a so-called "false encounter" - or staged gun battle. But around 3,000 people stormed the site grave and snatched the body. They did so while chanting slogans against the police and state authorities. The incident happened as funeral prayers were being offered for Mr Paddar, whose body was being handed over to the family for burial in their ancestral graveyard. Mr Paddar was killed by the anti-militancy Task Force in Sumbal area in December. Police said that he was a top militant. The authorities now believe that Mr Paddar paid 80,000 rupees (nearly $2,000) to a policeman in order to get a government job. But it is suspected that the policeman arranged for him killed. The state government has ordered a judicial probe into the incident. On Monday, the state Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced the arrests of sub-inspector Farooq Ahmad Gudoo and driver Farooq Ahmad Paddar. The BBC's Binoo Joshi in Jammu says that security forces and police in Indian-administered Kashmir have long been accused by human rights activists of killing civilians in staged clashes. In a separate development, police said that they have detained a soldier in mountainous Poonch district for suspected involvement with militants. The Inspector General of Police of Jammu, SP Vaid, said the soldier, Shamim, had been taken into police custody for interrogation. |
| Posted by:john |