In Padroo fake encounter case, a prosecution witness Monday recorded his partly statement before court in which former Superintendent of Police (SP) is also an accused and currently under detention.Abdul Rehman Padroo, a carpenter from Larnoo Kokernag in Islamabad district, was killed in a fake encounter at Ganderbal in 2005. The court has recorded statements of around 84 prosecution witnesses in the case.Muhammad Asgar Bhat, one of the investigating officers’ statement was partly recorded and while he has to appear before the court on December 15 again for recording statement.
Uttam Chand, the then Investigating Officer (IO), has established that Padroo was killed in a fake encounter.Earlier, Uttam Chand, who headed the SIT in 2007 had deposed before the court that the evidence gathered by him showed the involvement of seven accused—the then SSP Parihar, DySP Bahadur Ram, ASI Farooq Gudoo, driver Farooq Ahmad Padder, Manzoor Ahmad Malik and constable Bhansi Lal.
He had said that they hatched a criminal conspiracy and were involved in the killing of Padroo.Parihar is under trial in the case FIR No. 52/06 under Sections 302, 364, 201, 344 and 120 of the RPC. The former SP is also under trial in another case for killing of Imam of a local Masjid here in 2006.The court on November 28, 2008, had reprimanded the Special Investigation Team of police, constituted to probe the murder of carpenter Abdul Rahman Padroo, for failing to produce the witnesses, the then deputy superintendent of police and the Station House Officer of Batamaloo police station.Former SP Parihar is also going under trail in court for another separate case for allegedly killing the Imam, Moulvi Shoukat Ahmad Kataria. (CNS)