Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The District Administration in Shopian has ordered a magisterial inquiry into an encounter that took place in the Chanapora area of South Kashmir between July 4 and July 8, in which a terrorist affiliated with a banned outfit was killed. The inquiry, initiated in connection with an FIR registered at Shopian police station, has been formally notified through a public notice issued by the Office of the District Magistrate, opening the process to public scrutiny and participation.
According to the notice, the Additional District Magistrate of Shopian has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer, tasked with ascertaining the precise cause and circumstances that led to the death of the individual during the operation. The order for the inquiry was issued earlier this month, formally setting in motion a process that will examine the sequence of events surrounding the encounter in detail, drawing on statements, documentary evidence and any available digital material.
In a significant move toward transparency, the administration has invited members of the public who possess relevant information, including eyewitness accounts, documentary material or electronic evidence related to the encounter, to appear before the Inquiry Officer at the Mini Secretariat in Shopian. Members of the public have been given a window of 15 days from the publication of the notice to present themselves during designated hours on any working day, ensuring that anyone with pertinent information has a fair opportunity to contribute to the inquiry.
The notice further specifies that written representations and digital evidence may also be submitted through the official email address of the Additional District Magistrate before the stipulated period lapses, offering an alternative route for those unable to appear in person. This provision is intended to widen the scope of public participation in the inquiry process, particularly for residents who may have relevant information but face difficulty travelling to the Mini Secretariat.
Magisterial inquiries into encounter deaths have become a standard procedural safeguard in Jammu and Kashmir, designed to ensure accountability and due process even in operations conducted against individuals affiliated with banned outfits. The Shopian inquiry, once concluded, is expected to provide an official, documented account of the circumstances surrounding the operation, reinforcing the broader legal framework within which security forces in the region are expected to operate.
