Two persons, including a police constable, have been arrested in connection with the killing of a Muslim cleric in an alleged fake encounter by special operations group in Baramulla district last year.
The special investigation team probing fake encounters arrested Constable Tariq Ahmad Lone and cleric Moulvi Mohammad Ashra for their involvement in the killing of Showkat Ahmad Kataria by SOG Ganderbal, official sources said on Thursday.
Kataria, who was a cleric in a mosque at Zadibal in Srinagar, was picked up by SOG in October 2006 and shot dead at Ajas in Badipora area of Baramulla district.
SOG had dubbed him as a foreign militant. However, the claim was proved wrong by a DNA mapping test.
The sources said few more arrests were expected in the next couple of days as the investigation team was making efforts to file a chargesheet against the accused in a court before the month end.
With the fresh arrests, the number of persons arrested in connection with the fake encounters has gone upto 11, including eight policemen.
Senior Superintendent of Police H R Parihar, his deputy Bahadur Ram and ASI Farooq Ahmad Gudoo are among the policemen arrested in the alleged fake encounter killing of Abdul Rehman Paddar, a carpenter from Kokernag area of Anantnag district.
The three officers along with Constables Farooq Ahmad Paddar, Zaheer Abbass, Manzoor Ahmad and Bansi Lal were arrested last month following widespread protests against the killing of five civilians in fake encounters by SOG, Ganderbal.