In Bhaderwah, the Government forces late-night knocked at the door of Fazal Hussain on January 01, 1996. When Fazal opened the door, he was told that the ‘Sahib’ (Police inspector) wanted to meet him. His son, Fareed, an 18-year-old followed him to the Police station.
The accused, who was in a Police truck was working as a special Police officer. He had abducted two others namely Muhammad Hussain Lone, and Talib Hussain from their homes in Bhaderwah town of Chenab valley.
As per the family testimonials recorded by the media, three persons were allegedly shot dead by the Government Force personnel, Talib Hussain managed to escape from their clutches and reported the matter to the police.
The Forces had initially said that militants were killed, however, later it turned out to be a staged encounter in which the three abducted civilians had been murdered in cold blood.
“After the encounter, the families were not handed over the bodies for their last rites, instead, the bodies were thrown into the Chenab river,” Nazeera Begum whose son and husband were killed during the fake encounter told the press.
Fazal Hussain (41) was working as a senior inspector in Jammu Central Cooperative Bank, His son Fareed Ahmad was a class 12 student.
After the family complaint, the case went to court. The case was closed in December 1999, but after an Indian Express exposé, the case resurfaced.
Indian express exposed a report filed by Additional Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Bachan Singh Choudhary (now retired) indicting the former Director-General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda.
According to the report, on January 1, 1996, Mohammad Ashraf, the accused in the case, accompanied a police truck to Batote, where he met Khoda, who was then DIG, Doda-Udhampur range. Khoda had categorically rejected his involvement and said Ashraf had misled the police and killed the villagers due to personal enmity, a claim refuted by the victim families.
Mohammed Hussain Lone was another victim of the fake encounter. “We don’t even have a grave to go to,” his daughter said.