KILLING OF ARMY PORTER: Army released ‘contradicting’ statements

The army seemed to have been “confused” while issuing statements regarding the killing of an army porter in Nowshera sector along the Line of Control on Wednesday.

Pertinently, 55-year-old Bodh Raj, working as a porter with the army, was killed in firing on Wednesday, when he, along with two other porters, was moving in a forward area in Kalal. The other two porters had a narrow escape. After the incident, the army issued an official handout, stating that the porter was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistani army across the LoC. “Pakistani army initiated unprovoked firing in Nowshera sector, resulting in fatal casualty of one civilian, Bodh Raj, aged about 55 years, resident of Deeing in Nowshera tehsil,” the handout read. 

   

However, in its official communication to Jammu and Kashmir police, which was sent on Thursday, the army authorities stated that a group of militants sneaked in and hid in dense forests during the cross-border firing and the militants fired upon the porters, killing one of them.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, highly placed sources said that the statements released by the army clearly contradict each other. “They seemed to be confused as only one among the statements could be true. Either Pakistani army fired upon the porters, or the hiding militants, who sneaked in to the Indian side during cross-border firing, did,” sources said.

“Also, in the handout released by the army spokesperson, the army stated that the killed man was a civilian, while in reality, he was working for them. There are some contradictions and it seems that the army is confused,” the sources said.

It is pertinent to mention here that senior superintendent of police, Rajouri, YougalManhas, had on Thursday confirmed to Greater Kashmir that the police registered a case against unidentified militants for the killing of the porter.

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