SC fixes Shopian firing case hearing on July 30

The Supreme Court on Monday fixed July 30 for further hearing in the petition filed by Lt Col Karamveer Singh who had moved the court to quash the Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) Police's FIR against his son Major Aditya Kumar.

The J-K police had registered an FIR against Kumar for his alleged involvement in the Shopian firing incident earlier this year.

Singh, a Kargil war veteran, had moved the Supreme Court against the FIR lodged by the J-K police and sought quashing of the FIR.

The three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, will decide on July 30 if the plea filed by Singh is maintainable or not.

The J-K government had submitted to the apex court that Singh's petition is not maintainable and should not be heard by the court. They also said that the petitioner, Singh, had no locus standi in the case and thereby his petition should not be heard.

In an earlier hearing, the J-K government, in its affidavit, had stated that there was no bar for registering FIRs or initiating any investigation against Army personnel.

On January 27, three civilians were killed after Army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob of protesters in Shopian district.

Over 200 protesters pelted stones at the Army convoy, following which the Army personnel fired in self-defense.

Thereafter, the state police filed an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the Major and his Army unit of 10 Garhwal Rifles.