The Barakpora killings Chattisinghpora, Pathribal, and Barakpora massacres

1 barakpora killings

1.1 encounter claim state police
1.2 investigation
1.3 victims struggle justices
1.4 response kashmiri sikh community
1.5 inquiry
1.6 response of opposition parties
1.7 allegations , counter-allegations
1.8 victim family continued trauma

the barakpora killings
the encounter claim state police

days later, inspector general of police (kashmir range) dr k bhan claimed personnel led senior superintendent of police farooq khan, in joint operation army, had shot dead 5 militants responsible sikh massacre. according dr bhan, government forces had surrounded hut in panchthalan, near pathribal, terrorists hiding. fierce encounter ensued ended when shelter, 5 inside, caught fire , destroyed.

investigation

the special investigation team inquiring pathribal incident approached centre dna fingerprinting , diagnostics, hyderabad, , central forensic science laboratory, kolkata, medical samples of relatives match of slain men. in 2000. 2 years later, controversy had faded public memory when times of india reported samples relatives had been substituted others, fact both forensic centres had conveyed state police more year ago. ...while dna samples purported have been collected relatives did not match of dna isolated exhumed bodies, in 3 cases, samples of women relatives found have come men, read times report.

victims struggle justices

in little village in militancy-hit anantnag district, traumatised family of zahoor dalal waits justice – if not dr abdullah, almighty. not need dna tests recognise son, dalaal s mother raja bano told rediff.com had identified body 2 years ago. since government wanted proof, had given them blood samples. told have been tampered with. since son s death, has been unwell, subject alternating fits of weeping , hysteria. trauma has taken toll on daughter, zahoor s younger sister, well—she talks little, eats less, , faints frequently. killed son not away, raja bano said. government may them, allah not deny me justice. lack of faith in dr abdullah s government founded on 2 facts. one, state administration, despite knowing year samples had been fudged, did not make effort conduct fresh test. collected fresh samples relatives after controversy hit front pages , forced admission dr abdullah in state assembly earlier samples had been fudged. , two, after times report, senior state government officials continued maintain had not received communication forensic centres. dr syed e hasnain, director of centre dna fingerprinting , diagnostics, contradicted latter claim. report has been sent investigating officer [appointed jammu , kashmir judiciary], dr hasnain confirmed rediff.com cannot comment on fudging... stand have said in report. central forensic science laboratory director v k kashyap told times: had dashed off letter j&k government after found samples had serious discrepancies. till date have not received single reply either state authorities or investigative agency... finished our investigations way in december 2000, how can submit report meaningless? samples, added, tampered with. after times report published, state government admitted centres had written it, , promised undertake fresh tests.meanwhile, cover-up attempt has strengthened kashmiris belief 5 men not terrorists—a belief leaders of local sikh community share.

response kashmiri sikh community

5 government killed innocent, niranjan singh, president of anantnag district gurdwara parbandhak committee, told rediff.com on telephone. had nothing murders. ranjit singh, former president of anantnag gurdwara parbandhak committee, seconded opinion. nobody believes claims of government, said in telephone interview. utter nonsense.

another inquiry

dr abdullah, after initial attempt sidestep controversy, responded inquiry. chief minister told state assembly ashamed there agencies can behave in such manner. apologised assembly , promised involved in collecting , sending fake samples suspended. , if found guilty one-member commission of inquiry had appointed, dismissed , prosecuted , times report quoted him saying. blood samples once again collected relatives of 5 youth , sent kolkata , hyderabad. jammu & kashmir chief secretary ashok jaitley clarified matter further. naturally taken aback when read samples had been fudged, told rediff.com in telephone interview. state government bottom of issue, why have appointed justice g kuchay, former judge of jammu & kashmir high court, inquire. jaitley said action against involved follow after commission submits report, within 2 months. kashmiris react cynicism. this, point out, how script read earlier—suspension, court of inquiry, tests... compounds cynicism fact state government sat on communications hyderabad , kolkata, reinstated ssp farooq khan.

response of opposition parties

dr abdullah s political opponents condemned incident. such actions, said, erode people s trust in justice , fair play. shows designs of farooq government, said former union home minister mufti mohammad sayeed, people s democratic party leader , main rival of dr abdullah s national conference. wants cover killing of 5 innocents. true, agreed mehbooba mufti, sayeed s daughter , pdp leader. pathribal killing, said, 1 in huge spate of grave human rights violations since national conference government elected. example cites killing of 19 civilians, including pregnant woman, in poonch in 1997. state human rights commission presented report, said. government has taken no action till against surrendered militants , security force personnel involved. happens after inquiry? act on recommendations? asked. no, don t, said, answering own question. let be. dr abdullah s position on human rights, critics allege, visible in incident started all—namely, chattisinghpora massacre. in case, said communist party of india-marxist legislator yusuf tarigami, basis of protest @ barakpora killing of 5 men @ pathribal. government kept out of pandian commission s purview, showing how bent on hiding truth. farooq abdullah talking of inquiry, fresh samples, continued. not achieve anything... people have lost trust in these inquiry commissions.

allegations , counter-allegations

there allegations , counter-allegations—india said massacre handiwork of pakistan-sponsored terrorists; pakistan-based terrorists alleged indian security forces responsible. there no independent inquiry matter. chief minister asked justice s r pandian of supreme court, had inquired barakpora firing , found security force personnel guilty, study sikh killings, judge refused so. since [farooq abdullah] not interested in arriving @ truth, let after cosmetic exercise, critics point out.

victim family continued trauma

nothing expresses better raja bano s words: give more blood, thousand times if needed. don t think justice government. because judges, investigators, , guilty. no action being taken regards promised investigation pathribal deaths, local population grew increasingly restless. on 3 april 2000, estimated 3,000 4,000 protesters marched city of anantnag, intended present memorandum deputy commissioner demanding exhumation of bodies. when reached town of barakpora, 3 kilometres anantnag, protesters began unprovoked throwing of stones @ indian paramilitary camp. members of central reserve police force responded opening fire on protesters, killing 7 , injuring @ least 15 more, of whom 1 or 2 later died of injuries.