Srinagar, January 16: The police reports to the two-member Judicial Commission, probing the 17 deaths during initial stages of the 2010 summer unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, maintain that either security forces opened firing in self defence or did not use live ammunition at all in most cases.
The killing of three youth in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on June 28, last year is the only incident in which the police has admitted to the guilt of its personnel to some extent.
According to the report of Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda on the Anantnag incident, initially there was an attempt to blame the firing on “some unknown” persons.
The in-charge of the Laizbal police post had submitted a docket to the Anantnag police station that the post had come under attack from protestors armed with lathis and stones and the mob had attacked several government properties, including police vehicles and ambulances.
“In the meantime, some unknown persons fired upon the procession from SK Colony resulting in serious injuries to some persons who were shifted to hospital,” the docket dated June 29, quoted in the DGP’s report to the Commission, said.
Three youth later succumbed to injuries.
However, the special investigation team, constituted to probe the incident after public outcry alleging that the youth were killed in cold blood, found that the incidents of arson at Laizbal and firing at SK Colony were separate.
While civilian witnesses deposed before a magistrate that police personnel had opened firing and they can identify them, no identification parade was conducted till December 7, 2010 – the day on which the DGP submitted his report to the commission.
“Due to prevailing situation in Anantnag town, the identification parade of the involved accused persons could not be conducted so far,” Khoda wrote so nearly six months after the incident occurred.
One constable has been arrested in connection with the case so far.
Another incident in which police seem to have shrugged off responsibility relates to death of 25-year-old Fancy Jan in firing at Batamaloo in the city on July 6 last year.
“During the course of investigation, it has transpired that bullet, which has allegedly hit the deceased (Jan), has not been fired by the security forces or police personnel deployed on the spot as they were not carrying any type of fire arms/ammunition with them,” Station House Officer of Batamaloo Police Station writes in his report on September 19.
In the death of Abrar Ahmad in Maisuma area here, the report does not mention as to how the youth was killed or who opened the firing.
The SHO only mentions that there was a great law and order problem in his area as an unruly mob armed with lathis and stones defied curfew and there was heavy deployment of police and security forces in the area.
In cases related to the three deaths, the report mentions that the security force personnel had opened firing in self defence as there was danger to either their life or to the public property.
In the report related to killing of Fayaz Ahmad Khanday at Baramulla town on July 19, the police report claimed that the mob, which was carrying the body of another youth who had drowned while being chased by police, had attacked the security forces with petrol bombs and the someone from the crowd opened firing.
“From amongst the mob, some firing shots were heard. In the melee, several police officials sustained injuries. Some of the miscreants also received injuries,” SSP Baramulla said his report to the commission.
—Agencies