7 months after Khrew lecturer’s killing, probe meets dead-end
Seven months after the state government initiated a probe into the alleged murder of a lecturer by armed force personnel, the inquiry has not moved beyond police writing to the Army to give the names of the personnel who were responsible for the killing.
Government had admitted to the wrong doing by the Army in the killing of a college lecturer in Khrew last year. Though a probe was announced, a senior police official said that the Army has not responded to the letters which have been written to them seeking the list of personnel who were involved in the killing.
On August 19 last year, a 30-year-old college lecturer, Shabir Ahmad Mungoo, was allegedly beaten to death by the army in their custody after being picked up from his home in South Kashmir’s Pampore area.
A police official investigating the case said that though they have recorded the statements of civil witnesses in the case, Army has not responded to the letters which have been written to them. “Army is not co-operating in the case and we have not been able to arrest anyone. We are investigating the case and the people who are involved in the killing will be charge-sheeted,’’ said the official.
Residents of Sharshali village had alleged that the armed force personnel barged into their homes last year on August 19, following the stone pelting in the area. As many as 28 people were detained, but 30 year old college lecturer Shabir Ahmad was beaten to death and his body was handed over to the police.
Shabir’s family members have alleged that he was dragged out of the house by soldiers of the army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles and was beaten to death by the army in a nocturnal raid in which dozens others had received injures.
A police official said that they have registered an FIR and though their investigation has revealed that at least a group of army personnel were involved in the killing, but the Army was not co-operating in the case.
Chairman of the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights (IFJHR), Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, said that in last year’s agitation no action was taken in more than 94 people who were killed by the government forces.
“Even the cases in which the government has admitted to the wrong doings no action has been taken against the force personnel. Though FIRs have been registered government has failed to take any action against the forces who are involved in the human rights abuses,’’ he said.
KV Correspondent
