Ikhwan ‘commander’ Rashid Billa threatens Bandipora massacre survivors
The recent statement made by the Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar “terrorists have to be neutralized only through terrorists,” on May 22 during his Kashmir visit has already emboldened the Ikhwanis – who presently have been absorbed in the pro-India political parties, Territorial Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police. This statement is an admission on part of the Indian government, which overtly and covertly through Ikhwan, VDCs etc. unleashed a war on the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in numerous crimes.
According to a statement issued to KNS, a case in point is of Sadrakoot Bala (Bandipora) massacre in which seven members of three families were massacred on 5 October 1996 [FIR 125/96 Police Station Sumbal]. Rashid Billa, an infamous Ikhwan commander, the main culprit behind the massacre, has so far escaped accountability for the crime he had committed 19 years ago. The family after taking legal recourse against Rashid Billa and his aides in the High Court, which served notice against Rashid Billa, Government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army, are facing regular threats from the perpetrators. The High Court action irked the accused Rashid Billa who repeatedly threatened the petitioners. The intimidation and the life threats intensified after the Indian Defence Minister’s recent statement.
In a recently delivered threat, Rashid Billa intimidated the petitioners of serious consequences. Rashid Billa is continuously threatening the petitioners to withdraw the case or else they would be killed. He further threatened Manzoor Ahmed Dar, one of the petitioners, of dire consequences unless the families retract their allegations against him. Rashid Billa claimed that he would be once again made Ikhwan commander on 3rd June 2015.
The seriousness of the threats and the encouragement Rashid Billa and his men got from the recent statement merits serious attention.
Yesterday, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed the Director General of Police and the Senior Superintendent of Police of Bandipora to protect the life and liberty of the petitioners. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled on 6th July 2015.
