CBI registers case in Poonch encounter

Acting on the directives of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, CBI has registered an FIR against police personnel and army officials in the Poonch fake encounter case in which 19 persons, including women and children were killed 15 years ago.
CBI sources said the agency has booked army officials and police personnel who were posted there when the incident took place in August 1998.
On November 22, 2012 Justice M H Attar of J-K High Court had ordered CBI inquiry into the extra-judicial killing in Surankote area of Poonch on a plea by families of the victims seeking a re-investigation.

The agency sources said they have written to the police seeking documents and records related to the alleged fake encounter.
On the intervening night of August 3 and 4, 1998, 19 persons -- six males and 13 females -- were killed at the house of Hassan Mohammad Sheikh at Sailan village in Surankote.
The police, in its FIR, had blamed foreign militants for carrying out the killings but an inquiry conducted by the State Human Rights Commission in October 1998 ruled out the involvement of militants.

The SHRC also recommended an inquiry into the case.
The families of the victims had filed a petition for re-investigation in the case before the High Court in 2011.

CBI had recently claimed that the matter was related to terrorism and should be probed by National Investigation Agency, the sources said.