HR violators will have to face law of the land: CM

Kokernag, South Kashmir, Mar 6 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said security forces and police personnel found involved in the killing of innocent persons or violating other Human Rights (HR) in the name of fighting militancy will have to face the law of the land.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a function here yesterday after distributing ex-gratia relief cheques of Rupees one lakh each and appointment order to the next of kin of those killed by the state police in the fake encounter at Ganderbal.

An amount of Rs 11,000 each was also given to the bereaved family as a relief for rehabilitation.

He assured the families of those killed that the government will take steps to impart education to children of the deceased.

The fake encounter killings surfaced after a police investigating team found the Ganderbal police to be involved in the Killing of carpenter Abdul Rehman Paddar in a fake encounter.

Later, the body was exhumed for conducting DNA tests at Ganderbal which confirmed it to be that of to Paddar.

Paddar was killed by the SOG in a fake encounter at Ganderbal and buried there after labeling him as foreign militant of Lashker-e- Toiba (LeT).

Police have arrested seven police officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hans Raj Parihar and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP-Operations) Ganderbal Bahadur Ram ASI Gudoo and selection grade constable (driver) Farooq Ahmed Padder Bani Lal, Zaheer Khan and Manzoor Ahmad in connection with the fake encounter killings. Police have also produced a challan against the accused police officials in a local court here.

Mr Azad said nobody will be allowed to kill innocent people in the name of fighting militancy and real example of the same is the recent action against SSP Parihaar and others involved in custodial killings.

UNI