SRINAGAR: The Army and the Central Reserve Police Force on Sunday ordered inquiries to find out whether any of their men were involved in fake encounters in Jammu and Kashmir.

So far, five bodies of innocent victims of fake encounters had been exhumed.

Defence spokesman Col. A.K. Mathur told The Hindu that the Army's top brass ordered an inquiry on the basis of media reports to find out whether any officer of the Army or the Rashtriya Rifles was involved in such cases.

"Anyone found guilty shall face disciplinary action and there will be no compromise on that," said Col. Mathur.

A senior officer of the rank of Brigadier, from the Srinagar-based 15 Corps headquarters, would conduct the enquiry.

The CRPF has ordered inquiry into the incident in which the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police killed Abdur Rehman Paddar, a carpenter from Kokernag.

A CRPF spokesperson said Deputy Inspector-General (Operations) M.P. Nathanial would head the inquiry.

According to investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Kashmir range DIG Farooq Ahmad, three units of the Rashtriya Rifles took part in operations with the SOG in which the killing of three militants was claimed.

In another case, the CRPF back-up was used in the killing of Mr. Paddar.

Investigations showed that the five civilians killed were picked up from different locations.

The authorities opened the graves of the five and relatives identified them. Later the bodies were buried in the victims' home-places.

A local court on Sunday sent the former SSP, H.R. Parihar, and DSP, Bahadur Ram, to eight-day police custody. Mr. Ahmad told The Hindu that efforts were on to ensure a speedy investigation. The SIT had also arrested ASI Farooq Guddi, constable Farooq Ahmad and civilians Abdur Rashid Aagay and Bashir Ahmad, he said.

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