Compensate or face action: SHRC says to Army

Srinagar, Jul 11 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has recommended relief of Rs two lakh ex-gratia to the next of kin of four people killed by the Army and police in custody.

The SHRC also said that proper criminal proceedings may be initiated against the guilty Army and police personnel.

The commission gave the orders on a joint petition filed by Sakeen, Shameen Akhter and Gulzar Bi alleging that their husbands were arrested and later killed in a fake encounter by the Army on June 29,2002 at Poonch and later labelled them as militants.

The SHRC after going through the records and the statements of the witnesses, found that the three people were killed in the fake encounter and later labelled as militants.

It said the deceased civilians were arrested by the personnel of 7 JAT, including Captain Naresh, L/N Pardeep Kumar and Roshan Kumar, sepoys Master Veer and Rajinder Kumar, havaldars Ram Niwas and Prithvi.

The Commission recommended monetary relief of Rupees two lakh to the widows of the victims.

The SHRC also took suo-moto cognisance of killing of one Showkat Ali, who died due to torture in custody of Rajouri police station on February 2, 2007.

The statements of witnesses confirmed that Ali died due to the torture in police station. The testimony of the witnesses was further confirmed by the medical opinion that the person had died in police custody, it said.

''The commission is satisfied that Showkat had died in custody of police'', the order said, adding that therefore a murder case might be registered against the then SHO Showkat Ali Malik and the then investigating Officer, Gyan Singh of Police Station Rajouri along with other police officials, Mohammad Razak, Tasaduk Hussain.

The Commission recommended monetary relief of Rupees two lakh to the next of kins of the deceased. It directed that out of the relief amount, one lakh rupees should be recovered from the accused policemen.

UNI BAS GT RAI1401