Excessive Force Was Used In Just 3 Cases: Govt

One of the persons beaten by Army in Shar Shali area of Khrew during Summer unrest.

Jammu: The government considers only three cases of the summer unrest 2016 in which the security grid used excessive force, official sources said. These include the one case each in Lethpora, Karan Nagar and Shar Shali (Khanmoh).

On casualties of the unrest, state’s home ministry believes that there were only 76 killing in addition to the two cops who were killed in the resultant violence. There seems no possibility of appointing a judicial commission, home ministry sources suggested.

The police have registered as many as 2632 cases across Kashmir in the last six months of unrest which are under investigation.

In all the cases, so far, the police have arrested 463 individuals under Public Safety Act. Of them 145 were set free by courts, normally by quashing the PSA, and 318 are still in various jails across Kashmir, officials said. The government, however, refused offering details of the people it is still holding in the jails.

The three cases in which the government admits “excessive force”, one belongs to Karan Nagar where Reyaz Ahmad Shah of Chattabal was killed allegedly by the CRPF in the evening of August 2, 2016. An ATM guard, he was returning home on his two-wheeler and his body was recovered later that night. After the pellet ridden body was recovered, police registered a case against “unknown security forces” FIR 56 of 2016 under section 302 RPC.

Police also registered FIR 114 under section 307 RPC at police station Lethpora in a case of twin murders involving the killing of Farooq Ahmad Kuchay and Suhail Ahmad Wani on August 2. This case has been registered against the police, the government sources said.

The third case pertains to the Shar Shali belt in Khanmoh where army swooped on the village on August 8 and marshalled the residents. In the mass beating of the residents, one of natives Shabir Ahmad was killed. This case is registered against the 50-RR.

Interestingly, the government sources have indicated that they are still compiling the details of the individuals who have received pellets in their eyes. It, however, said that the injured have been taken care of. SMHS hospital’s ophthalmological department and its staff, the government said, has devised “effective management plan” which included “effective primary repair” for conducting vitrectomy and retinal surgeries involving a non-local expert. The government, however, may consider compensation, the sources said. (