Militant's brother tortured, killed by 51 RR

Greater Kashmir Feb 4, 2009

Militant’s brother killed in ‘custody’

AZIM JAN

Bandipore, Feb 3: Residents of Dewan in this north Kashmir district on Tuesday alleged that troopers of 51 Rashtriya Rifles killed a brother of a militant in custody last week.
Locals pleading anonymity told Greater Kashmir that Waleed Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Rasool crossed over to other side for arms training eight years back and didn’t return. They said during all these years troopers have been repeatedly torturing his family members on one or other pretext.
They said that recently 51-RR replaced the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry personnel, camping at a hilltop on Bandipore-Gurez Road. “The new unit after receiving information about Waleed, picked up his father Ghulam Rasool Bhat and his brother Ali Muhammad Bhat, 20, on January 29 for questioning,” they added.
The troopers released Ghulam Rasool Bhat after subjecting him to third degree torture on January 30, but detained his son.
Locals said the troopers handed over the body of Ali Muhammad to the family on January 31 and threatened them of dire consequences, if they disclosed the killing to anyone.
The family later buried the body in a local graveyard. “The troopers threatened the villagers not to register a case with police,” they added.
When contacted, the Superintendent of Police Bandipore, Sheikh Junaid, feigned ignorance about the matter. “Nobody has filed any complaint in this regard. If any such incident has happened police will look into it,” he added.

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State terror as usual: Troops shoot youth; protestors booked under Public Safety Act

Greater Kashmir Feb 3, 2009

Troops kill youth in Kupwara

Police Registers Murder Case

SHAHID RAFIQ

Srinagar, Feb 2: Troops shot dead a youth in Kupwara district of North Kashmir yesterday. Fayaz Ahmad Mir (28), a resident of Zab village of Khurhama, was shot by the troops when he came out of his house to ease himself last night.
Sources said Mir, who had received three bullet injuries, was rushed to nearby hospital from where he was referred to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, here, where he succumbed to his injuries late last night.
As soon as his body reached his residence this morning, thousands of people took to streets and staged a demonstration to protest the incident, the sources said.
Shouting slogans against the Army, protestors blocked the main road, demanding an inquiry into the incident and punishment to the erring personnel, the sources added.
Senior police and civil officers rushed to the scene and assured them that the incident would be looked into and those found involved would be brought to the book. The situation in the village was tense and senior officers were still camping in the area to maintain law and order.
However, an army spokesman denied the allegations of the locals and said the youth was killed when militants opened fire on an ambush party of security forces.
“Army has laid an ambush in the village when militants opened fire on the troops from a nearby hillock,” the spokesman said.
“It was the militant firing which left the youth dead,” the spokesman said.
However, the locals did not buy the Army version and said the troops killed the youth without any provocation.
“Fayaz was hit from a point blank range. We saw troops sitting on the same spot where Fayaz was hit by bullets. Three bullets had pierced his arms and chest,” Fayaz’s close relatives said.
Fayaz’s wife Tahira said in a broken voice, “My husband was innocent and has been killed in cold blood. I want the troopers to be punished.”
Police has registered a case FIR no. 03/09 under section 302 RPC.
When contacted, SP kupwara Uttam Chand told GK, “On the basis of the version of deceased’s father we have registered a case and the killing will be probed by a DSP rank police officer.”

Srinagar protester booked under PSA

MUHAMMAD YOUSUF

Srinagar, Feb 2: A day after SSP Srinagar warned the Srinagar youth of strong action against those who hold anti-Government protests in old city, the Government today booked a youth of Nowhatta for being ‘in contact with’ a dead militant under the draconian public safety act.
In the grounds of detention the Government said Ashiq Hussain Rangraiz, 24, son of Bashir Ahmad Rangraiz of Jamia Masjid has remained close associate of Noor Hussain, a slain militant of Harkat-e-Jehadi Islami. However the family ridicules the charge and says he was booked for lodging protest on Fridays.
The dossier prepared by the deputy commissioner Varmul, Baseer Ahmad Khan, says that Ashiq Hussain was close associate of Noor Hussain before the latter was killed. It says that Ashiq Hussain was providing information and transportation to the militants.
The family members say that he was arrested by the police in civvies on January 15. However, they said the Nowhatta police didn’t register their report about his arrest on the same day. Instead, they said, police in daily diary put the date of his arrest as January 17. They said they were informed that he has been shifted to Varmul joint interrogation centre. They said he remained in the joint interrogation centre and with 29 RR for five days.
On January 20, the family approached the District Judge Varmul, they said. The Court granted bail to Ashiq Hussain. Meanwhile, he was shifted to CIK Humhama and he was kept there for four days. On January 29, he was released. This time from police station Pattan. However next day the police phoned the family and asked them to bring Ashiq to police station for signing necessary documents. The family took Ashiq to police station. There they were handed over the order of Deputy Commissioner Varmul, Baseer Ahmad Khan, booking Ashiq under the PSA.
The brother of Ashiq says that his brother was booked under PSA for lodging protests on Fridays. He said his brother participated in protests during the land transfer controversy when the whole valley was on roads, and even political parties supported the cause at that time. “That is sole reason he was booked under PSA,” they he said.