Pay compensation and re-investigate custodial death, J

Srinagar, Feb 1 (UNI)Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the authorities to pay Rs two lakh compensation to the next of the kin of Sajjad Ahmad Badroo who was allegedly killed in custody.

Rejecting the police claim that Sajad was killed by unidentified militants, the commission also asked authorities to re-investigate the case and bring the accused to book.

The commission's ruling came on a petition filed by the father of the victim Ghulam Mohammad Badroo of Dooru area of Anantnag.

In his petition, Badroo said Sajjad was arrested by army and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police at Nowdoora Dooru on the night of October 27, 2005.

However, his body was handed over to family members next morning, he said.

Later, Badroo filed a FIR in police station Doru, he said.

However, police refuted the charges, denying SOG or Army took Sajjad into custody. Instead it quoted a report submitted to the then Director General of Police by the then Inspector General of Police about the incident that he was killed by militants.

The judgement noted the petitioner produced the Lamberdar and the Chowkidar of Dooru Shahabad before the commission, who categorically stated that SOG and army lifted Sajjad and later they handed over his body to the petitioner through police.

After hearing arguments of both the parties and perusal of records, the commission observed shock over what it said ''fantastic line of defence projected by the police that the youth collapsed during interrogation and died when shifted to Khanabal army camp''.

The court also rejected the report of the IGP, describing it as unsatisfactory and ''share execuse to cover up the custodial death of Sajjad.

UNI BAS VD AS1707