Shopian case: Govt to arraign 4 suspended cops

The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to arraign the four suspended police officers as accused for destruction, dissipation and suppression of evidence in the rape and murder of two young women in south Kashmir's town of Shopian on May 30.

The incident has kept the Valley on the boil with unrelenting protests and violence that has claimed two lives and injuries to scores others.

Acting on the recommendations of the commission, the state government has also decided to register a case against the then district police chief of Shopian, Javed Iqbal Mattoo, for giving false evidence before the commission.

Announcing the decision at a media conference in Srinagar on Friday evening, the state finance and law minister Abdul Rahim Rather said the government has accepted all the recommendations of the commission which completed the inquiry in a quick time of one month.

The commission in its findings has stated that the involvement of an agency of state police could not be ruled out.

"The case needs further extensive investigation by a competent and dedicated team of professional investigators with all modern facilities to identify the real culprits," the report said.