NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir police could soon file charges against more than 130 state government employees for directly and indirectly instigating the Valley’s protests.
These employees are accused of throwing stones at security forces during protests over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
Charges will be brought under the stringent public safety act. If found guilty, they could be imprisoned for up to two years.
Also, service rules say government employees are automatically suspended if they spend more than 24 hours in custody, an official said. They forfeit their job if proven guilty.
The state police intelligence department and central agencies have compiled a list of Jammu and Kashmir government employees accused of pelting stones or instigating people to act against the state.
“Slowly but steadily the Jammu and Kashmir government is acting against those who led the stone-pelting mobs and that include some of its employees as well,” the official said.
The crackdown comes in the backdrop of public unrest over the past three months after Wani’s death, which has enforced a prolonged shutdown in the Valley.
About 90 people have died in clashes with security forces, while protesters throwing stones have wounded more than 10,000 personnel, officials in New Delhi said.
{{/usCountry}}About 90 people have died in clashes with security forces, while protesters throwing stones have wounded more than 10,000 personnel, officials in New Delhi said.
{{/usCountry}}The administration is struggling to restore normality as markets, schools and colleges still remain closed.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was in the national capital on Tuesday, is expected to discuss steps with the NDA central leadership to ease the situation.