Give employment, pay Rs one lakh to families of 9 people:JKHRC

Srinagar, Aug 29 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the state government to pay Rs one lakh each and provide employment to a family member of nine people killed by unidentified gunmen in North Kashmir.

The SHRC has also described police investigation into these killings as casual, customary and half-hearted.

On hearing a petition filed by Advocate Zahid Ali, the Chairman of the public grievances cell of the Jamat-e-Islami (JeI), SHRC member Habibullah Bhat said the families of all the deceased were entitled to Rs one lakh each along with the benefit of SRO-43 to a member of each family.

The recommendation is, therefore, submitted to Jammu and Kashmir government through the Chief Secretary, he mentioned in the order.

The people killed by gunmen included Mohammad Kamal Rather, Habnibullah Wagay, Abdul Khaliq Rather, Mohammad Ashraf Dar, Ghulam Nabi Khan, Nazir Ahmad Bhat, Mohammad Yousuf Malla, Mohammad Sahfi Khan and Mohammad Sakhi Rather.

Advocate Ali has filed the petition alleging that the workers and cadre of the JeI were killed in a planned massacre by the gunmen working with the security forces in Sumbal, once the hub of ''Ikhwan'' a group formed by surrendered militants working with different security agencies in Baramulla district.

Mr Bhat further said that sympathisers and associates of JeI were being apprehended and involved in fake cases and later killed in cold blood during custody.

The report submitted by the Inspector General of Police before the commission said that one Mohammad Yousuf Malla was killed in cross firing by militants because he was their guide. The investigation was going on. In case of Mohammad Ashraf Khan, the report was silent.

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