J&K HC directs 7 ITBP personnel to appear before probe officer

The directions were passed by the Court after the ITBP identified the seven accused personnel and their whereabouts before the court during the proceedings yesterday.

Ghulam Hussain Koka, father of the youth Muhammad Asharaf Koka, had filed a petition before the court pleading that the police investigation into the alleged abduction and disappearance case of his son was "tardy" and the warrant issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate Anantnag was not being executed.

The youth was allegedly abducted by ITBP personnel in Verinag area of Anantnag district in 1991.

According to the ITBP communication to the High Court, then Commandant of 10th battalion Inder Singh Negi is presently posted at Northern Frontier Dehradun as Inspector General, Dr P S Gunjiyal, then Chief Medical Officer, is currently posted with 31st Battlaion at Yupia in Arunachal Pradesh, Head Constable Hukum Singh is posted at Leh in Jammu and Kashmir and Head Constable Ajeet Kumar is posted at Chandigarh.

The then second in command of the unit R S Rana has retired and is currently residing in Himachal Pradesh while Rajinder Singh has also retired and is presently in Uttarakhand and sub-inspector Pratap Singh died on August, 4, 2004.

The whereabouts of these personnel were furnished to the court following directions to this effect on the last date of hearing on November 29.