The state government Tuesday announced a one-man judicial commission to probe the cases of alleged custodial killings and fake encounters in Kashmir.

The judicial commission had been announced earlier by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and, on Tuesday, a government notification said a retired judge of the High Court, Justice M L Koul would head it. Its report is to be submitted in three months.

The notification issued on Tuesday said, 'Whereas, the government is of the opinion that it is necessary to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to enquire into a definite matter of public importance, namely the recent alleged custodial killing/fake encounter, resulting in the death of some persons like Abdul Rehman Padder in the Valley.

'Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Commission of Inquiry Act, 1962, the government hereby appoints a Commission of Inquiry comprising of Justice M L Koul, retired judge of the High Court'.

The notification further said, 'The commission shall perform all the functions necessary for holding the enquiry or incidental thereto and submit its report to the Government within a period of three months'.

The shocking disclosures of five civilians being framed as foreign militants and killed in alleged stage-managed encounters by the special operations group in Ganderbal district unearthed earlier this year led to the arrest of the senior superintendent of police, a deputy superintendent and six other personnel of the SOG. They are now facing trial for abduction, murder and destruction of evidence.