Srinagar Oct 3: The bodies of three labourers from Rajouri district killed in an alleged fake encounter in Shopian on July 18 this year were exhumed on Saturday.

Reports said that the exhumation process started at around 6 am today in Sheeri Baramulla where the trio was buried.

“Since the DNA samples (of the deceased) have matched with their families, the three bodies will be exhumed and handed over to them after due process of law,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar had said.

On July 18, the Army claimed that three militants were killed at Amshipura village in the higher reaches of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

However, the Army initiated an inquiry after social media reports indicated the three men were from Rajouri district in Jammu and had gone missing in Amshipura.

The families of the three men from Rajouri who worked as labourers in Shopian had also filed a police complaint.

The Army completed a probe on September 18 and said it had found “prima facie” evidence that its troops “exceeded” powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act during the encounter and had initiated disciplinary proceedings.

The police also launched its investigations and collected the DNA samples of the families to match with those killed.

Last week, the police said the samples have matched with the families from Rajouri and further investigation in the case was going on.