Right to Information Act might be a tool to fight corruption in rest of the country but in Kashmir, for the first time, it will seek unraveling of the mystery behind the custodial killing.
Kashmir RTI Movement chairman Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat on Monday filed an RTI in the Sopore custodial killing where 28-year-old Nazim Rashid died immediately after being arrested by the police.
“There were 117 killings last year. Nobody knows what happened to the cases. We want to seek facts behind the Sopore killing to know why and how he was killed. The case will also stretch the RTI Act realm to go beyond sadak, bijli and pani issues,” Bhat told the Hindustan Times.
Nazim Rashid (28) was killed in police custody in Sopore, 55 north of Srinagar.
The RTI seeks answers to on why was Nazim Rashid arrested and what were the charges leveled against him. “Was any FIR filed against him for which he was arrested, if yes provide a copy of FIR?” asks the RTI.
Bhat said the RTI seeks information on the date and time of his arrest. “Who were the police officials and the Army personnel who arrested him?” asked Bhat in the RTI.
{{/usCountry}}Bhat said the RTI seeks information on the date and time of his arrest. “Who were the police officials and the Army personnel who arrested him?” asked Bhat in the RTI.
{{/usCountry}}The RTI application speed posted on Monday to the authorities, also seeks details on the total time for which the victim was under custody of the army and the police.
“Who were the police/Army officials who interrogated him? What was the official and preliminary cause of his death? Had the deceased complained of any illness or discomfort before his death in custody and was any first aid given or was he treated for the same by any medical officers. If yes please provide details of the treatment given. If no please provide why any medical help was not given?” says the RTI.
The RTI also seeks to know if the parents were informed officially about the death of their son and was it recorded officially. “Please provide copy of the same,” said Bhat.
The RTI sought to know if a written consent obtained from his parents before conducting postmortem of Rashid. “Was the post mortem process video recorded as per Supreme Court guidelines?,” asks the RTI.
It also wants to know the names of medical officers, magistrates who conducted the post mortem.