Sadarkoot Massacre: Court sends accused to judicial custody after 25 years

Bandipora, Oct 18: A court in north Kashmir on Monday sent a Territorial Army soldier to Central Jail Srinagar in connection with infamous 1996 Sadarkoot Massacre here in Bandipora district.
The accused was sent to Central Jail after 25 years of the massacre. The accused identified as Ayoub Dar of Hakbara Sumbal was Naik in Territorial Army and was evading arrest from past 25 years.
Pertinently, seven unarmed civilians including two women and five men were gunned down by government-backed counter-insurgents infamously known as ‘Ikhwanis’ in the Sadarkoot village of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district 25 years ago on October 5, 1996. Advocate Shafiq Bhat representing complainant Ghulam Qadir told news agency Kashmir News Trust that police presented the accused TA soldier Ayoub Dar in the court of Sessions Judge Muhammad Ibrahim Wani who after hearing arguments and counter-arguments sent Dar to Central Jail Srinagar to face trial.
Advocate said that there were three accused in the massacre. Dar was second accused in the case who has been brought to book. The first accused Wali Mir was sent to judicial custody by the court in March 2019 while the third accused Abdul Rashid Parray, alias Rashid Billa, a notorious government gunman, was shot dead by suspected militants near his residential house at Hajin on April 16, 2017. (KNT)