Siraj Din was apprehended by a police naka party while moving under suspicious circumstances on Kishtwar town outskirts. When questioned, he posed as an innocent village youth, having come to the town to meet a relative. The police party would have accepted his statement, but he fumbled during subsequent queries raising suspicion. Otherwise, a large number of people from villages come to Kishtwar town either for work or to meet relatives.

In fact, it was only after recovery of a Universal Machine Gun (UMG) and a 61 mm mortar at his instance that police brought him to Doda for sustained interrogation. Siraj Din broke down during interrogation and revealed the sequence of events and also giving the names of militants involved in the killing of 26 baratis (marriage groupmembers), including three bridegrooms, at Chapnari on June 19, 1997.

Of the three grooms, who along with the baratis were on way to Prem Nagar from Malwa village, one was returning home along with his bride and another was going to be married. The third groom had joined one of the barats (marriage procession) after getting married only a day earlier. Siraj Din, a police official said, had moved to Kishtwar after the massacre to avoid getting arrested or killed during encounter with security forces and police.

Significantly, six of the eight killers, according to the revelations made by Siraj Din, were locals owing allegiance to Hizbul Mujahideen. While the local militants hailed from the adjoining Bhagwah and Bhatta Bhagwah villages, the remaining two killers, Abu Hasham and Abu Mussa hailed from Pakistan.

Abu Hasham was leading them at the time of massacre. He was, however, killed during a joint operation by the security forces and the State Task Force later, sources said, adding, the other six killerswere still at large.The arrested militant, has not been able to explain reasons for the carnage except that the orders came from top leaders, sources added.

However, investigating police officials believe that the massacre was the outcome of the killing of some majority community youths from village Karara by some members of the other community near Prem Nagar a few months earlier. To avenge the killings, the militants appear to be looking for a chance to eliminate the Village Defence Committee members of the area.