Death of civilians in ‘custody’: CPI(M) seeks strict action

The polit bureau of the CPI(M), in a statement titled “J&K: Act to end such impunity”, condemned the killing of three civilians in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir while they were allegedly in the custody of the Army

In the wake of the killing of three civilians allegedly in custody in Poonch, the Communist Party of India-Marxist CPI(M) on Sunday demanded action to end impunity into such killings.

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The polit bureau of the CPI(M), in a statement titled “J&K: Act to end such impunity”, condemned the killing of three civilians in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir while they were allegedly in the custody of the Army.

“Mohammad Showkat, Safeer Hussain and Shabir Ahmad were rounded up by army personnel and subjected to severe torture which resulted in their deaths. The J&K administration has announced compensation for the families of the deceased. But that is not enough,” the statement said.

The party said there has to be a speedy investigation and punishment meted out to those responsible. “People of J&K, who have long suffered from such acts of impunity, expect accountability to be fixed in the matter and justice done,” it said.

The three men were picked up for questioning in connection with Thursday’s attack on an army convoy and were found dead. Their families alleged they were killed in custody, prompting the Indian Army to commit to an investigation into the matter.

The bodies of Safeer, 44, Showket, 22, and Shabir, 32, were found on Friday near the site of the terrorist ambush on two army vehicles, which left four soldiers dead at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Bafliaz on Thursday.

Political parties leaders express concern

Former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti expressed concern over the “five jawans martyred in a militant ambush, three innocent civilians tortured to death in custody by Army, many still battling for their lives in hospitals & now a retired SP killed.”

“Innocent people have become collateral damage to maintain the facade of normalcy touted by GOI. One doesn’t know what to condemn more. Killing of five army jawans who laid their lives in the line of their duty or civilians tortured to death in the most barbaric way by those supposed to protect us from the enemy? Every life in J&K is in peril & GOI wants to brush everything under the carpet only because the ground reality will puncture their fake narrative. How long will this go on before the country wakes up?” she said.

In a statement, Mufti alleged withholding of information about civilians from Panchayat Banghia who have been picked up by the DKG army camp in the Thana Mandi area of Rajouri district. Family members are allegedly being denied access to their loved ones, heightening fears for their safety.

“DKG army camp has picked up civilians of Panchayat Banghia from Thana Mandi area & are withholding information about them. Nor are their worried family members being allowed to see them at the camp who fear for their lives because of the Topi episode where civilians were tortured to death in custody, ” she said.

On Saturday, she said the culprits involved in the Amshipora fake encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian in 2020, in which three civilians were killed, had already been charged by an Army court. “Army court found them guilty while civil court reversed the judgment, creating a false precedent among the forces that they can operate without restraint. Even with the governor’s guarantees, justice has not yet been served,” she had said.

On Saturday, People’s Conference president 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 the truth be told. In some cases, there was total denial. In some cases, cosmetic condemnation. 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,” he said.

“Zero tolerance to terror has to be followed up with zero tolerance towards rogue terror. Our prayers with the families,” he added.