An Indian military court suspended the life sentences of five army men involved in the killing of three innocent Kashmiri youth in a fake encounter in Machil area of Kupwara district in April 2010.
The armed forces tribunal also granted bail to the killer troops who were dismissed from service and given jail terms earlier by a general court martial for killing the Kashmiri youth, Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported.
Colonel Dinesh Pathania, Captain Upendra, Havildar Devender Kumar, Lance Naik Lakshmi, Lance Naik Arun Kumar from 4 Rajput Regiment and rifleman Abbas Hussain of the Territorial Army were convicted in 2014 for the killing.
“The armed forces tribunal bench headed by Justice VK Shali suspended the punishment awarded to these personnel and granted them bail in the case,” Major Anand Kumar and Major SS Pandey—the two lawyers of five Army personnel in the case—told media.
On April 29, 2010, the three youth—Shazad Ahmad Khan (27), Riyaz Ahmad Lone (20) and Mohammad Shafi Lone (19) —were lured to the higher reaches of Machil from their Nadihal village in Baramulla district on the pretext of jobs and good money as porters with the army.
They were then shot dead by the soldiers of 4 Rajput Regiment, then commanded by Colonel Pathania, in the staged encounter. The army had labelled the victims as foreign militants. The killing had triggered widespread demonstrations across the occupied territory.
It is to mention here that Indian troops have been given unbridled powers under draconian laws, like Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act. The Indian troops involved in serious human rights violations are rarely punished for their actions.
