Army man Manzoor Ahmad Khwaja, who has been accused of abducting the three men, was arrested by police and produced before a local court in Kupwara today.
"The court has remanded the accused to police custody till December 11," Advocate Bilal Ahmad, the lawyer representing the families of missing persons, told PTI.
Ghulam Jeelani Khatana (42), Mir Hussain Khatana (45) and Ali Muhammad Sheikh (40), all residents of Kupwara district, have been reported missing since November 17 when they had left home reportedly to work as porters with the Army.
The families claim that they were in touch till the end of last month with Manzoor Khwaja, who told them that their kin were engaged in Keran sector as porters by the Army.
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However, the soldier allegedly switched off his phone when questioned about the whereabouts of the three men by their family members.
The aggrieved families approached the court yesterday and sought an investigation into the matter.
The Police have registered a case of abduction under section 364 of RPC.
Meanwhile, an army official said that they were cooperating in the police investigation into the alleged abduction case.
"The case of alleged abduction by rifleman Manzoor Ahmad Khawaja is sub judice but the soldier reported to the police whenever required by them.
"The army is extending full cooperation in the ongoing investigations," the official said.
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A police spokesman said the relatives of the missing persons were shown photographs of the four militants killed in encounters in Kupwara district since November 15.
"The relatives of these missing persons denied resemblance of (of militants in) these photographs with their kin.