Most of the victims in protest did out cooperate with the team because the entire village was cordoned off by the B.S.F, and the police. How could Mr Verghese then record the statements of the victims in just 15 minutes? Such a large number of security personnel were deployed there to terrorize the victims.
“After the incident, the village respectable went the Trehgam army camp to see the Brigadier before noon on February 24 who said: “You must help surrender militants and their arms. If you reported the matter anywhere you shall have to face the consequese said the Brigadier.
Commenting on the PCI report, Justice Mufti Bahauddin Farooq in his statement at Srinagar said the committee had served their masters in Delhi by acting as a mouthpiece of the Indian armed forces (The full statement is annexed).
Among the victims, Zarifa (23) wife of Sana ullah Magdi was the most affected lady in the village. She was gang raped. After three (or four) days she delivered a child (boy) with a fractured arm as during the rape she got brutal kicks in her womb. She was not available in the village for her statement as she had returned to her in laws village, Kandi, near Handwara.
Jangti, wife of Mohammed Daar and mother of Zarifa told the PHRO team that ““She (Zarifa) was pregnant. The army personnel arrived at night (11pm) and expelled the men from our house. I and my daughter, pregnant for nine months, were hiding in the first floor of the house when some jawans forcibly entered the door. First, two of them advanced on Zarifa, despite hercry that she was pregnant. I, for a while, tried to protect my daughter but to no avail. Then I jumped out from the window and saved myself from the onslaught. Zarifa was raped by four Jawans as she informed me later.”
Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1992
