JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir government has investigated nine cases of alleged human rights violations in the Kashmir Valley and found the reports of custodial deaths incorrect.
The government, under a new Strategy to counter such allegations, has been investigating through local police the reports of human rights abuses on a fortnightly basis. For this purpose, a human rights cell is already functioning to monitor the progress of these cases, releasing the reports on investigations into nine cases conducted in the first fortnight of September; an official spokesman said it refuted the allegations of custodial deaths of two people in Anantnag. He said in search operations at the Hazratbal complex in Srinagar and Anantnag on September 3, Militants fired on security forces. In the ensuing encounter Khan Caught fire which spread to two adjoining houses. He said investigation into another report had revealed that a militant, Mohammad Amin Bhat of Baramulla, was killed in an encounter and not in custody, The spokesman said a self-styled platoon commander of the Tahriq-I-Jehadi Islam’ militant outfit who was arrested and subsequently agreed to lead security forces to a militant hideout, suddenly grabbed a hidden AK-56 rifle and started firing on the security personnel. The latter returned the fire killing the militant.
In another case, investigations revealed that two militants were killed and three others arrested in ‘an encounter during search operation at Gulshan Abad on Sept.7. The investigations ruled out the allegation of custodial death.
The spokesman said an arrested militant, Tafiq Ahmed Sheikh, was killed on September 7 when militants fired at the security forces who were taking him to a hideout for recovery of arms, Il was mischievous to call this killing custodial death.” he added_ Giving details of the incident relating to the killing of nine people in a matador at Bandipore, the spokesman Said that a Border Security Force party was fired upon by militants from a minibus at Chiti Bandi village. The BSF returned the fire in which five militants belonging to the Jehad force outfit were killed. Investigations into the allegation of the killing of six people in Ananmag on September9 revealed that after hearing sounds of gunfire from an encounter between Security men and militant at village Kanji nag, six people entered the house of one Haji Abdul Gani Baba and hid themselves in aseptic tank. Five of them died of suffocation while the sixth was taken out in an unconscious condition.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 7, 1994
