SrinagarA local Court here on Monday recorded statement of a bank manager in connection with a case involving killing of a cleric in a fake encounter by former S.S.P Ganderbal Hans Raj Parihar in the year 2006.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Srinagar recorded the statement of the manager, Me’rajudin, who deposed that he witnessed issuing of the bank statement of accused Hans Raj Parihar and handover it to the investigating agency during the course of investigation.
The cleric, Showkat Kataria a resident of Banihal who was picked up by a joint party of Special Operation Group of Ganderbal police and 13 Rashtriya Rifles from Alamgari Bazar, Srinagar where he was leading prayers in a local masjid and was killed in a fake encounter.
A special Investigating Team was setup later to probe the killing. According to SIT Showkat, was killed in a fake encounter and passed as a militant, Abu Zahid of Karachi Pakistan.
His body was exhumed from Ajas area of North Kashmirs Bandipore district on February 3, 2007, and his identity was established through DNA testing.
According to SIT, the conspiracy to kill Kataria was hatched by another Imam, Muhammad Ashraf Khan of Ganderbal with Constable Tariq Ahmad Lone of Kupwara. Ashraf wanted to eliminate Kataria as he (Ashraf) wanted to lead prayers instead at Thathar Masjid at Alamgari Bazar.
The SIT filed a charge sheet against 11 persons, including five policemen and as many army soldiers besides Ashraf, for the cold blooded murder.
Besides cops and the civilian, the police had also charge sheeted Col. Vikram Singh, Major Rishi Khanna, VK. Sharma, Puran Singh and Satpal Singh of 13 Rashtriya Rifles of Army.
While the policemen and the civilians were arrested, the army refused to hand over its accused soldiers.
In October 2009, the court had framed charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and abduction against the former SSP Hans Raj Parihar, former DSP Bahadur Ram, ASI Farooq Ahmad Gudoo and Constables Tariq Ahmad Lone and Manzoor Ahmad Malik and the civilian Mohammad Ashraf.
As per the SIT, Mohammad Ashraf, a resident of Choont Waliwar Ganderbal, who intended to lead the prayers at the mosque, had hatched a conspiracy with Constable Tariq Ahmad Lone of Kupwara to eliminate Kataria.
Lone informed Gudoo, who was in charge SOG camp Ganderbal, about the plan and finally the preparations were finalized with SSP Parihar and DSP Bahadur Ram, the SIT said.
The cops contacted armys Vikram Singh and others and plan was executed as SOG and the military kidnapped Kataria from the mosque on the fateful day and later killed him in fake encounter at Ajas Bandipore. Kataria was passed off as Pakistani militant Abu Zahid.
The plan, according to SIT, was revealed before it by ASI Farooq Ahmad Gudoo during the investigation of the fake encounter killing of Padroo.
The court has already bailed out SSP Parrihar while other accused in the casedriver Farooq Ahmed Padder, DySP Bahadur Ram, ASI Farooq Gudoo, Manzoor Ahmed Malik and Constable Bansi Lal are languishing in Central Srinagar since 2007.
Parihar was released on bail by the high court at Jammu in November last year for twenty days in connection with the marriage of his daughter. Later bail was extended on health reasons.
The court has also exempted Parihar for hearing in court for some personal reasons. The next date of hearing is on 11th of July 2017.
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