Machil fake encounter case: Life imprisonment for six accused

Udhampur, Sept.7 : The General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Army’s Northern Command, Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda on Monday, confirmed that life imprisonment was awarded to six army men including two officers by a court-martial in connection with their role in the 2010 Machil fake encounter case.

Colonel Dinesh Pathania, Captain Upendra, Havaldar Devender Kumar, Lance Naik Lakhmi, Lance Naik Arun Kumar and Rifleman Abbas Hussain have been awarded life imprisonment.

Three youths – Mohamad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmed and Riyaz Ahmed were allegedly lured to a border area and shot dead in 2010.

Security forces had earlier claimed that they had killed three infiltrators and recovered five AK47 rifles, ammunition and Pakistani currency from them in the Machil sector.

According to reports, the Jammu and Kashmir Police found that the men killed by the security forces were actually innocent civilians, and reported missing from a village in Baramulla District. (ANI)