JK: Encounter victim's body exhumed for DNA

The police on Tuesday exhumed the body of the victim of the alleged fake encounter in Poonch district and took samples for a DNA test to ascertain his identity.

After the approval of the district administration, the body of the August 7 encounter victim was dug out in Surankote belt of Poonch district, in the presence of Additional Superintendent of Police Yougal Manhas, Magistrate (Tehsildar) Nisar Ahmed Khan and other officials on Tuesday afternoon, said the police.

After exhuming the body, samples were taken by a team of doctors on the spot and later the body was buried again in the graveyard in Surankote, they said.

The samples will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad for DNA tests to ascertain the identity of the victim, they said.

Fresh samples have been taken as the earlier ones were rejected by Hyderabad FSL.

Earlier, the samples were collected from the body as well as from three members of two families who claimed that the person killed in the fake encounter was their relative.

They were sent to Chandigarh-based FSL but it did not carry out the DNA test due to shortage of staff.

Hyderabad FSL has asked us to collect the fresh samples for DNA under a specific format, said the police.

A team of doctors in Surankote have taken blood samples of Mohammad Isaq and her daughter of Thanamandi area of Rajouri district and that of Mohammad Din of Jaganu
area of Udhampur district, who claimed to be the victim's relatives.

Isaq, a resident of Saj village in Thanamandi belt of Rajouri district, had claimed that the slain civilian was his son Mohammad Aslam and had presented a photograph to the authorities.

Similarly, Mohammad Din of Jaganu village in Udhampur district had also claimed that the victim was his son.

The police and the army had claimed that they have killed Lashkar-e-Tayiba divisional commander Abu Usman in Marhote area of Surankote tehsil in Poonch district on August 7.

Later, it turned out to be a fake encounter and police arrested Special Police Officer Noor Hussain and Abdul Majeed, a jawan of Territorial Army.

District authorities have ordered a magisterial probe into the alleged fake encounter. The army has also instituted an independent inquiry into the incident.