SC notice to J&K govt for denying relief to migrants

New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notice, returnable in four weeks, to the Jammu and Kashmir government through the State Relief Commissioner on a contempt petition for defying the Court's order to provide relief to Jammu migrants.

A Division bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Tarun Chatterjee and R V Raveendran issued the notice on a contempt petition filed on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) against the state government for defying the Supreme Court order dated July 12, 2006 to provide relief to the Jammu Migrants according to the affidavit made on behalf of state government before the Supreme Court on December 3, 2004, a state Legal Aid Committee press release said.

Prof Bhim Singh, Petitioner's Advocate, submitted before the Court that the state and the central governments had not implemented the Court's order causing starvation to 11,000 innocent migrants from different parts of Jammu province namely Doda, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur.

Instead of implementing the order the state government had let loose a reign of terror on the migrants which was witnessed on August 7, 2007 at Katra when scores of women and children were beaten in lathicharge and police stoning, he added.

He also presented the glimpses of police assault on JKNPP General Secretary Anita Thakur, who was beaten, assaulted and dragged after being taking into custody in full view of the media and the public.

The Court allowed Bhim Singh to file Ms Thakur's affidavit in the matter.

The advocate also mentioned how advocate H C Jhalmeria and senior journalist P K Ganju were beaten and taken into custody for supporting the migrants for implementation of the Court's order.

Advocate Jahlmeria's affidavit is being filed in the Supreme Court.

Bhim Singh , who has been fighting for the cause of the migrants since 1998, described the Court's notice as an vindication of the just demands of the migrants.

UNI