Srinagar, Feb 27: The Government on Sunday booked the three police personnel who were recently acquitted by the Court from murder charges of State Home Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Lone and his elder brother, under the Public Safety Act.
 “Four persons including three policemen who were accused of killing State Home Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Lone have been detained under PSA,” the District Magistrate Kupwara, Muhammad Shafi Rather told Greater Kashmir.
 He, however, refused to divulge further information on the grounds of their detention. Those booked under the PSA include SHO Sogam, Ghulam Rasool, Abdul Ahad Rather of Anderhama Kupwara, Muhammad Rustum Lone and Ghulam Nabi Pir both hailing from Sogam.
 Incidentally, the Principal District and Sessions Court Kupwara on February 1 had acquitted the police officials accused in the murder case of Lone and his elder brother. The duo was killed in two separate incidents in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district in 2002.
 The Court had acquitted the accused saying prosecution has failed to prove the charges against them.
 Mushtaq Lone was Minister for Home in Farooq Abdullah’s government. He was killed while addressing a rally in his home constituency at Tikipora Sogam Kupwara on September 11, 2002.
 Subsequently, the State Government had ordered probe into the incident. The then Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Navin Chowdhary, who conducted the probe had termed the killing as “politically motivated.” The family had asked for CBI investigation. However, the request was never accepted by the Government.
 The charges against the accused police officers were that they made use of wireless sets and entered into conspiracy with militants to kill Lone. Police in its chargesheet had said that on September 9, 2002, a meeting between militants and the accused was held in the house of Ghulam Nabi Lone to eliminate Lone on his visit to the area.
 “None of the witnesses have been able to identify the accused that resorted to firing at Tikipora and Sogam,” the Court had stated in its judgment while acquitting the cops.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 IST