New Delhi, January 23 : The Indian paramilitary Border Security Force has admitted “certain administrative lapses” on the part of BSF personnel involved in last year’s Ramban firing incident in Jammu and have said the paramilitary will soon begin trial of its six men in connection with the incident.
Sources said Border Security Force (BSF) took over the trial of the case from regime led by Omar Abdullah recently for conducting the proceedings against them under the BSF Act. A Staff Court of Inquiry, which has just completed in the incident in which four civilians were killed and dozens injured, has found “administrative lapses” on the part of some officials, they said.
The reports said that the BSF through a staff court of inquiry in the incident in which four civilians were killed and many injured in Ramban,has found “administrative lapses” on the part of some BSF officials.
BSF had last year defended its men and claiming they fired in self-defence.
However, an India newspaper had reported from New Delhi some days back that after exonerating its men in a court of inquiry in the Ramban firing case Border Security Force (BSF) is now likely to take over the FIR filed by Jammu and Kashmir Police in the case and conduct a trial against its men in its own court.
The newspaper had reported that the move is sanctioned under BSF rules and the force will soon initiate process for it. BSF has maintained that its men are not at fault and they had no option but to fire in self defence at the stone-pelting crowd.
On July 18, 2013, BSF personnel opened fire on protesters at Gool killing four civilians and injuring 40 others. The people were protesting the desecration of the holy Quran by BSF personnel. Two parallel investigations were launched after the incident: one through the BSF CoI and another by J&K Police which lodged an FIR.
While the CoI, completed recently, exonerated the BSF jawans; however, police investigations are still on. BSF is now preparing to take over this investigation.