7 Probes ordered in 9 months, but results awaited

In the past nine months, the J&K government has ordered at least seven inquiries into civilian killings in Kashmir which, however, haven’t yielded any results. While the government has failed to act in some cases, a few probes have been left midway.

FIRST PROBE

The first probe was ordered by the government in February this year into the killing of a youth in Palhalan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The inquiry officer was ordered to submit his report within 15 days.  Farooq Ahmad Bhat, 20, was killed on February 9 in police action in Palhallan area of Pattan. Two other youth, later identified as Riyaz Ahmad Bhat and Asif Ahmad Sheikh, were also injured in the police action which triggered massive protests and forced the government to order an inquiry. The slain boy was not part of the protests going on in the area.

The then Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Talat Parvaiz, ordered investigation into the killing of Ahmad and appointed Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pattan as the inquiry officer. The enquiry committee was directed to submit their report at an earliest. After passing of nine months, the officials at Deputy Commissioner Baramulla said they are still investigating the matter.

SECOND PROBE

The second inquiry was ordered by Deputy Commissioner Kupwara on February 11 into the alleged custodial killing of Nazir Ahmad Mughal of Gujjar Pati village of Zirhama, Kupwara.

When the killing triggered massive protests, the district administration ordered an inquiry which, according to oficials, is “still on”.

THIRD INQUIRY

The third inquiry was ordered in May after the killing of Suhail Ahmad Sofi of Narbal Budgam in police firing. The killing triggered massive anti-India and pro-freedom protests after which the Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Mir Altaf Ahmad, ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Additional Deputy Commissioner was appointed as the inquiry office and asked to submit his report in 15 days.  So far, the probe has not been completed.

“We are still investigating it,” officials at DC office Budgam told.

ANOTHER INQUIRY

In February this year, Army claimed to have killed seven suspected militants in Dardpora forests of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district in an encounter. Later, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kupwara Kumar Rajiv Ranjan nominated Additional District Magistrate Kupwara, who is also the district Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR), as the inquiry officer and directed him to conduct a probe into the Army claims as per guidelines of the the National Human Rights Commission.

The inquiry officer was asked to submit the report in seven days, but hasn’t done so till date.

“The investigations are on and completion will take some time,” officials at DC office Kupwara said.

CM ORDERS PROBE

Another inquiry was ordered by the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on June 15 into civilian killings in north Kashmir’s Sopore.      Six persons Altaf-ur-Rehman Sheikh, Khursheed Ahmad Bhat, Mehraj-ud-Din, Aijaz Ahmad Reshi , .Rafiq Akbar Hanji and Ghulam Hassan Dar were killed by unknown gunmen in different parts of Sopore.

“The Chief Minister has taken a serious note of the killings of civilians in Sopore and issued directions to the Home Department for stepping up investigations and providing secure environment to all civilians,” an official spokesman said that day.

There has been no headway in the probe since. “The inquiry must be going on,” an official of Home Department said. “I will have to check.”

ANOTHER PROBE

Another inquiry was ordered on August 11 after Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead Bilal Ahmad Bhat of Pulwama in South Kashmir. Bilal was killed when BSF soldiers opened fire on protestors in Malangpora area of the district. The Government ordered a “time-bound” enquiry into the killing and Additional Deputy Commissioner was asked to probe the incident.

“We have recorded the statements and investigations are on,” officials at DC office Pulwama said.

GOWHAR’S KILLING

The latest inquiry was ordered into the killing of Gowhar Nazir Dar of HMT Srinagar on November 7 evening after a tear gas shell hit on his head.