Army firing: Sharma to visit Shopian

NEW DELHI: Dineshwar Sharma, the home ministry’s special representative to Jammu and Kashmir, will visit the state on Thursday (February 22) and spend the night at Shopian, where three civilians were killed last month, as part of its effort to reach out to residents of the district, a senior home ministry official said.

The civilians were killed when an Indian army unit opened fire on protesters in Ganawpora village last month. The official, who asked not to be identified, said that while the Union ministry of home affairs has been briefed about the incident by officers concerned, “it was equally important for the locals to express their side of the story”.

“The government is keen on meeting the locals of the district as well as of the village where the firing took place. Everyone, including the families of those who died during the incident, will be welcomed if they decide to meet (Sharma) and discuss the issues at hand,” said the official.

Following the incident, which took place on January 27, the Indian army said it had no option but to open fire in response to unprovoked and intense stone pelting. Locals claim the army opened fire after an altercation over attempts to remove posters of a slain militant in the village.

J&K police filed an FIR after the firing, naming Major Aditya Kumar in the case. However, after Kumar’s father moved the Supreme Court, demanding that the FIR be quashed, a bench comprising Chief Justice restrained the police from taking any “coercive steps” against the army officers, including Kumar. “We have received reports about growing anger in the region over the issue. The visit is part of Sharma’s mandate to conduct a sustained peace dialogue with all stake holders in J&K,” the official said.