HC raps centre over eviction of Kashmiris

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday slammed the Centre for asking Kashmiri central government officials who served in Delhi and retired, to vacate their official accommodation without taking steps to restore normalcy in the state.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday slammed the Centre for asking Kashmiri central government officials who served in Delhi and retired, to vacate their official accommodation without taking steps to restore normalcy in the state.

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Painting a grim picture of the situation in Kashmir and referring to the "ethnic cleansing of a minority community from the Valley", the court also imposed a cost of Rs 6.25 lakh on the Centre. The order came while quashing eviction proceedings against 25 of them, mostly Kashmiri Pandits, staying in government accommodation across the Capital.

Allowing them to continue in their present accommodation till alternative houses were provided, Justice Gita Mittal: "State failed in protecting the fundamental and basic human rights of its citizens compelling them to be displaced... and is not in a position to ensure their safety or security in case they return".

"The instant case is testimony to events which led to unprecedented ethnic cleansing of a minority community from the Kashmir valley due to inability of state to protect their life and property from violence", said the court.

Their lawyer B L Wali argued before the court that these officials who were working in extremely dangerous situations had been left to defend themselves after their retirement despite Supreme Court's orders that centre had an obligation to ensure their protection till they can ensure normalcy.