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Several parties in Jammu and Kashmir have condemned the death of three civilians after they were allegedly picked up by the Army for questioning in connection with the killing of five soldiers in a terrorist ambush in Poonch and demanded an impartial investigation into the incident.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said if the allegations of custodial killings are correct, “this is an unacceptable misuse of force and the protection afforded to security forces” under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
“Even asking for a transparent inquiry & punishment for any violations of human rights seems pointless given how those who are found guilty are released scot-free without serving their punishment. This is not the way to remove ‘dil ki doori or Dilli se doori’,” Abdullah said in a post on X (formally Twitter).
The National Conference (NC) on Saturday also protested over the incident. “The NC has always condemned terror. We condemn the killing of five army men. But, we also condemn the killing of innocent civilians. As the government announced NIA inquiry into the killing of army men, an inquiry should also be launched into the killing of civilians,” the party’s general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said.
The three civilians were among nine taken from Topa Peer village and the relatives of the deceased alleged that the three men were tortured in custody.
The bodies of Safeer Hussain, 44, Showket Ali, 22, and Shabir Hussain, 32, were found on Friday near the site of the terrorist ambush on two army vehicles, which left four soldiers dead.
The incident prompted protests in the district and as tensions rose, the Jammu and Kashmir administration said a probe had been initiated and the families of the victims will be given compensation.
At a press conference at her party office, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, however, claimed that 15 people were picked up by the Army for questioning, of whom three died, while the remaining were seriously injured.
Mufti, another former chief minister, demanded that the Jammu and Kashmir administration sanction a compensation of ₹50 lakh each for the families of the three deceased.
“I request the Lieutenant Governor that till the time an inquiry is done into the matter, the three families be provided with a relief of ₹50 lakh each and the injured admitted to hospitals be provided ₹5 lakh each. Their families are very poor,” she said.
She also referred to a video purportedly showing these men being tortured.
Scores of activists of the Apni Party led by their Kashmir provincial president Ashraf Mir protested at the party headquarters in the Church Lane area in Srinagar on Saturday against the civilian deaths. The protestors tried marching out of their office but were stopped by the police, news agency PTI reported.
“We want justice for the killed civilians. A thorough investigation of the case should be done,” Mir told reporters.
Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami demanded a prompt and impartial inquiry into the mysterious death of the three persons.
“Demanding a fair probe into the ‘mysterious’ death of three civilians near the encounter spot in Poonch. A prompt & impartial probe is crucial to ascertain the cause of their death,” Tarigami said in a post on X.
“Also condemning in no uncertain terms the militant attack in which five soldiers made ultimate sacrifices in the line of duty. My deep condolences to their families,” the CPI(M) leader’s post added.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone said the loss of civilian life in Poonch is a grim reminder of the challenges that we still face.
“The last three decades have been dotted with such heinous acts. Non combatants have paid a heavy price. Let truth be told. In some cases there was total denial. In some cases cosmetic condemnation,” he said in a statement.
Lone said maybe the time has come to have an institutional mechanism to ensure transparency in such cases and punishment as per the law of the land.
“Zero tolerance to terror has to be followed up with zero tolerance towards rogue terror. Our prayers with the families,” he added.
Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also called for a thorough investigation into the civilian deaths.
Mohammad Sadeeq, whose 22-year-old nephew Showket was among the deceased, said around 9.30am on Friday, the Army picked up nine men from the village and were taken to the Army’s Mal post, around 2km from the village, and then shifted to Bafliaz post.
“I made frantic calls through the day to the Poonch deputy magistrate Choudhary Mohammad Yasin, SSP Vinay Kumar, a deputy SP of the area and various DDC members informing them about the development. I told them that the men have been detained and that they were being tortured,” said the 45-year-old village head said.
Around 4pm on the same day, Sadeeq said, they were informed of the deaths of the three men.
“They were given third degree torture at the army post,” he alleged.
The bodies of the three men bore signs of torture, Sadeeq claimed. “They were tortured with acid and chilly powder. They were also electrocuted,” he alleged, adding that he has shared two videos of the alleged torture with officials.
(With inputs from Ravi Krishnan Khajuria in Jammu)
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