76 security personnel punished for HR violations in Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 16 (UNI) The Human Rights (HR) record of the Indian security forces is second to none as clear instructions have been issued to all the field officers that no violations would be tolerated, a senior Army officer has said.

Talking to reporters here today on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, GOC 15 corps Lt General A S Sekhon said 76 security personnel have been punished for exceeding their limits during the counter insurgency operations.

He said the HR record of the Indian security forces was much better in comparison to several other countries who are also facing similar situation and it is second to none.

Without naming Pakistan, he said, Army in our neighbourhood used helicopters and heavy arms against their own people in Baluchistan.

Lt General Sekhon said a thorough inquiry is being conducted after receiving allegations about HR violations by the troops. He said, most of these allegation are later proved wrong during the investigation.

People in some areas are levelling false allegations against security forces on the direction from militant outfits to defame the security forces, he said. However, he admitted that some times the security forces are exceeding their limits.

''We have punished 76 security personnel of different ranks for violating HR,'' he said adding some of the guilty personnel were dismissed from the service and jailed.

Lt General Sekhon said there are clear cut directions from the Army headquarters to avoid any excesses during the counter insurgency operations.

The same directions have been issued to field commanders that guilty personnel would be punished.

He said there is now complete understanding between the security forces and local population across the valley.

Lt General Sekhon said 40 medical centres are working in different parts of the Kashmir valley, mostly in far flung and remote areas for benefit of the people.

Similarly, the army conducted 724 medical camps where thousands of people were treated and given free medicines.

The army is running 29 goodwill schools in the valley while 210 other schools were renovated.

He said the mini hydel power projects set up by the Army in different areas were functioning normally and the local population was getting electricity from these projects.

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