Srinagar: The army has detained three soldiers for their alleged role in the abduction and murder of their fellow soldier, who was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in June last year. Sources said the men, all belonging to the 44 Rashtriya Rifles, are reportedly being questioned after investigations revealed that they might have leaked the information about the movements of Aurangzeb, which enabled the militants to abduct the jawan after he set out from the camp for his home in Poonch.
Aurangzeb — a rifleman with 44 Rashtriya Rifles — was intercepted and shot dead by terrorists in Pulwama when he was travelling in a private vehicle, on his way home to celebrate Eid with his family. His bullet-riddled body was later found by a team of the police and the Army. He was shot in the head and neck. Aurangzeb was part of an officer’s team which killed Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sameer Tiger.
He was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously. After his death, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Army chief General Bipin Rawat had separately visited the family to express their condolences. Aurangzeb’s father Mohammad Hanief joined the BJP in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Samba on Sunday. Hanief was a sepoy of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry.
The soldier’s killing had led to mass outpouring of grief in his village in Mendhar, 250 km from Sirnagar. Thousands had attended his funeral. Aurangzeb’s murder was followed by the killing of two policemen and a CRPF jawan when they were home on leave.
