Custodial deaths, extrajudicial executions continue in J

New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) Though politically motivated violence has slightly decreased in Jammu and Kashmir, deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions continued to be reported, said the annual human rights assessment report of Amnesty International.

''Some six deaths in custody, 38 enforced disappearances including several juveniles, and 22 extrajudicial killings were reported in 2006. Identity-based attacks by Islamist fighters continued,'' said the 2007 report-- with the theme 'Politics of Fear creating a dangerously divided world'.

Coming down on the Government, the survey, also released worldwide, said impunity for human rights violations by state agents continued, although in a few cases action was initiated after years of delay.

It cited the March 2000 extrajudicial killing case of five villagers in Pathribal village by Army and the CBI indictment of the guilty officers in April.

''The officers were charged with fabricating evidence to support their claim that the men were foreign fighters killed in an 'encounter' with the troops,'' it added.

The 340-page survey-- which had a polycentric people's launch across 12 cities in India-- said the authorities failed to provide information about the whereabouts of disappeared people to their families.

Concerns over the existing powers of the state Human Rights Commission were heightened in August when its chairperson resigned over the ''non-serious''attitude of the state government towards humanrights violations, said the report over the human rights situation during January to December 2006.

UNI