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Inquiry ordered into Doda fire

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR AUG. 23 . The people of Marmat, the remotest area in Doda district, are yet to come to terms with the massive fire, in which two children were killed and more than 150 houses gutted, rendering hundreds of families homeless.

The Government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Trouble began in the villages of Goha, Machimali and Gund Gudhari on August 20 when the security forces cordoned off the area to flush out the militants responsible for the attack on the Rashtriya Rifles camp in which a colonel and a soldier were killed.

The villagers said the "security forces went on rampage and in an act of vengeance torched the houses''.

The Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, the Minister of State for Home, Khalid Suhrawardy, and the Director-General of Police, Ashok Suri, visited the area on Thursday.

Dr. Abdullah assured the people that an inquiry would be conducted and responsibilities fixed in the case. He also announced relief to the affected families. The first instalment of Rs. 10,000 was disbursed among the families by the district administration today.

The Commander of the 16 Corps, Lt.Gen. T.P.S. Brar, and the IGP, Jammu zone, P.L. Gupta, also visited the area today and it is understood that both the Army and police have agreed to hold a joint inquiry into the incident.

According to the Army, militants in uniform came to the area and set the houses on fire.

But the people, who converged in Doda town, which observed a complete shutdown on Thursday in protest against the incident, blamed the security forces.

They said the killing of the Colonel was the provocation. "Even our women were molested'' alleged one of them.

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