Conflict

Human rights commission seeks probe into 2016 killings, issues notice to DG Police

Srinagar: State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has admitted a petition seeking probe into the civilian killings in 2016 and compensation to the victim families. The Commission also issued a notice to Director General of Police asking him to furnish a detailed report in this regard.

The 2016–17 protests in Kashmir, also known as the Burhan aftermath, refers to a series of violent protests in the Kashmir Valley of the Indian-administered part of Jammu and Kashmir. It started with the killing of Burhan Wani, a commander of the Kashmir-based Islamic militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen, by the Indian Armed forces on 8 July 2016. After his killing, anti-Indian protests started in all 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley. Protesters defied curfew with attacks on security forces and public properties.

The Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a human rights group that documents cases of rights violations in J&K, published its annual report Human Rights Review that put the total number of killings in 2016 at 383; the list includes 145 civilians, 138 militants and 100 state and Central forces.

The Commission’s response came after a petition was filed by Centre for Peace and Protection of Human Rights through its Chairman M.M. Shuja.

The petitioner in his petition has submitted that during 2016 unrest more than 75 civilians got killed in Kashmir Valley due to bullets and pellets of the Indian Armed Forces.

“The information received by the petitioner from Directorate of Health Services-Kashmir, 9042 people got injured due to pellets and bullets out of whom 782 were eye injuries, many have lost their complete vision while scores have turned disabled, permanently or partially.”

“The respondent state by no standard can ignore or isolate the injured people who too are the victims in the same incidents. The respondent state appears to have deliberately and wittingly abdicated its constitutional responsibility to protect the lives of unarmed civilians.”

The petitioner has asked SHRC to direct the respondent state to adopt a complete rehabilitation policy for permanently and partially disabled civilians of 2016 unrest and get the all incidents of violence probed by the investigating agency.

In absence of its chairman, the SHRC member Jang Bahadur admitted the petition and issued a notice to DG Police asking him to provide all the details about 2016 incidents. The case has been listed for next hearing on October 24 this year.

 

(With inputs from CNS)

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