Fourth anniversary of killing of Zubair-ul-Hassan Bhat and the accused continue to enjoy State patronage Press release, 13 April 2014 On 13 April 2010, Zubair-ul-Hassan Bhat, 15 years of age, was killed by personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force [CRPF], and specifically: SP Altaf Ahmad Khan, DSP Harmeet Singh, and the then SHO of Sopore Police Station, Aftab. On that day, Zubair, along with four other young boys, went out to play cricket in the afternoon hours. It was a day of a strike call that was being observed without any violence. The five boys, including Zubair were chased by police and the CRPF and they ran towards the riverside near the Jamia Kadim bridge. Then, from the bridge at the river, SP Altaf Ahmad Khan, standing along with the other persons named above, ordered that the boys be cornered. In these circumstances, the five boys had no choice but to jump into the river. The police and CRPF personnel, including ASI Irfan, then started throwing stones at the five boys. The boys offered to surrender, but the police and CRPF did not accept this and continued their attack. Under this attack, Zubair, who did not know swimming, drowned and died. Immediately following his killing, Zubair’s parents confronted SP Altaf Ahmad Khan and demanded that they be allowed to retrieve the dead body from the river. SP Altaf Ahmad Khan then ordered his policemen to trample over them and send them to their dead son. To date, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have at every stage protected the perpetrators and ensured impunity. Following the killing of Zubair, the police refused to file a FIR for murder and threatened action against the family of the victim. Instead, the police filed a FIR [FIR no. 165/2010 at Sopore Police Station] against unknown persons for violence and stone pelting. Following a struggle of two years before the courts, the family of the victim managed to get a FIR filed for murder [FIR no. 93/2012 at Sopore Police Station]. Finally, as per RTI information received by communication dated 9 January 2014, the police closed FIR no. 165/2010 as untraced on 7 December 2011, and closed the FIR for murder, 93/2012, as not admitted on 24 February 2013. The police concluded by stating that Zubair died by accident. Following the filing of FIR 93/2012, about four-five months after, SHO Manzoor came to the family of the victim to take a statement. The father of the victim gave a detailed statement. But, later on the same day, the police returned with a statement that suggested that Zubair died by accident. The father of the victim rejected the signing of this statement. To protect the perpetrators, there has been continuous harassment of the family of the victim and the other witnesses in this case. It is also unclear whether the police filed their closure reports before a competent court, as per law. Zubair-ul-Hassan Bhats murder, and the continued impunity, is similar to numerous other cases in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian State has consistently perpetrated crimes, and then ensured impunity. Ghulam Hassan Bhats first son Ehsan-ul-Haq, 16 years old, was killed in 2006 by pro-government militants working for the Indian army. Meanwhile, SP Altaf Ahmad Khan, despite being accused of other crimes [custodial killing in 2011, and rape in 2004], continues to enjoy the patronage of the Indian State. Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society
Posted on: Sat, 12 Apr 2014 11:55:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015