Kashmir: Strike on fake encounters cripples life

Srinagar, Feb 6: A one-day general strike called by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) against killings of innocent people in fake encounters, crippled life in the Kashmir valley today.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kahsmir government has already ordered a judicial probe while the Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) also ordered an internal probe into all fake encounters in the valley.

Shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the road.

Work in government offices and other commercial establishments was also affected as employees stayed away in response to strike called by JKLF, which was supported by both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), a number of separatists and other organisations.

A report from Baramulla said that complete shut down was observed in almost all important towns and other areas in north Kashmir.

The streets wore a deserted look as all shops and business establishments were closed.

Similar reports were also received from other and villages in other districts of the valley.

Life was also paralysed in south Kashmir, including Kokernag and adjoining areas as most of the fake encounter victims, including Abdul Rehman Padroo, belongs to that area.

Yesterday, thousands of people, led by JKLF chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik, took to streets at Vailoo and Kokernag protesting against the fake encounter killings.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has already ordered a judicial inquiry into the fake encounter cases. The issue rocked the state assembly in the ongoing session at Jammu. Police exhumed four bodies of civilians who went missing after their arrest. They were later killed by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police in fake encounters at different places and later buried at Ganderbal, Ajas and Kangan after labeling them as foreign terrorists.

The police later arrested four SOG officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hans Raj Pariha and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP-Operations) Ganderbal Bahadur Ram for kidnapping and later killing the civilians.

Parihar and Ram were given 14 days police remand by a local court here yesterday.

JKLF chief said that about 8000 Kashmiris are missing from Jammu and Kashmir since 1990. However, officials said the only few hundreds are missing in the state.

Padder had gone missing from Batamaloo here on December 8, 2006.

A missing report was lodged with the Batamaloo police station by his family on January 23 this year.

Padder, 35, was later allegedly killed by the SOG of the Jammu and Kashmir police in a fake encounter at Waskar in Ganderbal and dubbed as a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, Abu Hafiz, a resident of Multan in Pakistan.

An AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 36 rounds of ammunition and a grenade were also claimed to have been seized from his possession.

The SOG men were reportedly awarded Rs 1,20,000 for killing him.

Similarly the SOG personnel were rewarded and promoted for killing three other innocent civilians and later labelling them as foreign militants.

UNI