Kargil Vijay Diwas: Captain Saurabh Kalia's family to continue fighting for justice

Pakistani Army subjected Captain Kalia and his soldiers to horrendous torture during which the bravehearts' ear drums were pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off.

New Delhi, July 26: Captain Saurabh Kalia and five other soldiers of the Indian Army were brutally tortured and killed by the Pakistani troops during the 1999 Kargil war. Pakistan Army's barbaric act came around a month before the main conflict began.

In gross violation of the Geneva Convention the Pakistani Army subjected Captain Kalia and his soldiers to horrendous torture during which the bravehearts' ear drums were pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off.

Captain Kalia's family has been trying to get justice from the government, and to highlight the war crimes that were committed against their son and other Indian soldiers. NK Kalia, Saurabh's father has been following his son's case and wants the act to be declared a war crime by the UN, and the people responsible to be punished as per the rulings of the Geneva Convention

"Then Prime Minister, Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister had promised that the issue will be taken up with Pakistan and at international level but till now no concrete action has been taken," NK Kalia told ANI today.

"We had to move Supreme Court. We understand this is an issue between two nations, I am optimistic in nature and will continue the fight. This issue about the dignity and honour of our armed forces," he added.

The autopsy of the bodies had revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were cut off.

Saurabh Kalia's father has approached various national and international organisations to put pressure on Pakistan to identify, book and punish the persons responsible for the crime of keeping his son in captivity for three weeks and torturing him.

The UPA during its tenure had maintained that it could not move the ICJ as Pakistan will not permit it. India feels that it was a bilateral issue and it has always maintained that there should be "non-interference" by ICJ in "bilateral or internal" matter.

The ill-fated patrol had moved down the Kaksar Langpa area in Kargil on May 14, 1999 and declared missing a day later. They were in captivity for almost 22 days till June 7, 1999. Finally their mutilated bodies were handed over to the Indian Army on June 9, 1999. The Indian side discovered that the soldiers had been brutally tortured and then killed.