The army has ordered a “high-level” internal probe into the alleged torture and custody deaths of three civilians in Poonch district of Jammu and identified local commanders who are likely to face action, military sources said on Sunday.

“A high-level probe has been ordered into the deaths of the three civilians to fix
accountability of the local commanders. Some officials have already been identified and are likely to face action soon,” an official posted at Army Headquarters told The Telegraph.

Safeer Hussain, 37, Showkat Hussain, 26, and Shabir Ahmed, 32, were allegedly picked up by the army for questioning after four soldiers were killed in a militant ambush in the Poonch-Rajouri area on Thursday.

Local people say the army took away eight Muslim Gujjar men from Topa Mastandara village and, apart from the three found dead on Friday with multiple injuries, several others are being treated for grievous wounds at an army hospital.

Jammu and Kashmir police too are probing the three deaths, and the army has offered full cooperation.

Graphic video clips of what appeared to be torture in custody surfaced on Saturday. The Telegraph has not been able to independently establish the veracity of
these videos or their link to the alleged custodial deaths.

“The authenticity of the videos is still not verified. The army has zero tolerance for any violation of its ethos and standard operating procedures,” the army source said.

“Strict action will be taken against those responsible if the internal probe finds any truth to the videos.”

Defence ministry sources said some officers and commanders from the Poonch-Rajouri sector were “likely to be sent on compulsory leave or replaced” while the probe was under way.

The alleged custody killings have led mainstream politicians in Jammu and Kashmir to question the Centre’s “all’s well” narrative and claim that neither the army nor the common people were safe in the government’s vaunted “Naya Kashmir”.

“Are we fighting terrorists or our people? If we are fighting with our people then we can never win this,” former chief minister Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday.

He demanded a judicial inquiry into the killings and urged Union home minister Amit Shah to visit the families of the dead.

“Amit Shah should visit and must assure the families of the deceased that strict action will be taken against those responsible. He should address people’s sentiments and win their trust. Youcan’t win this battle against terrorism if you don’t win the confidence of the people,” he said.

Asked about the promise of jobs and compensation, Farooq said: “By giving money and jobs you cannot bring back those who are dead. Is this how you want to win the hearts and the confidence of the people here?”

A post on X from Trinamul Congress MP Saket Gokhale said: “Shocking to hear that 3 civilians who were picked up by the Army in Poonch, J&K, were found dead. J&K admin has ‘promised compensation’ & has initiated an investigation. Who will punish the culprits?”

Gokhale added: “Simultaneously, Army personnel are being killed in terror attacks & there are reports that 3 soldiers bodies were mutilated. Is this ‘Naya Kashmir’ that @AmitShah blabbered about in Parliament & claimed everything is normal? When Parliament itself is not safe, what else can we expect about the security situation in J&K.”

The CPM politburo has issued a statement saying: “Showkat Hussain, Safeer Hussain and Shabir Ahmed were rounded up by army personnel and subjected to severe torture which resulted in their deaths.

“The J&K administration has announced compensation for the families of the deceased. But that is not enough. There has to be a speedy investigation and punishment meted out to those responsible. People of J&K, who have long suffered from such acts of impunity, expect accountability to be fixed in the matter and justice done.”