Srinagar. WEDNESDAY, 14 NOVEMBER 2012 : After passing through tough interrogations in infamous Cargo interrogation center in Srinagar for 15 days followed by a six month long detention in Central Jail Srinagar and Central Investigation of Kashmir (CIK) Humhama, Syed Mastan Shah of Rajouri was finally acquitted and was declared innocent by the court.
The court of second additional sessions Judge on November 3, 2012 acquitted him of all the false charges. The Court order, a copy of which reads …“As the accused person namely Mastan Shah who has been facing trial since 26-12-2006 despite numerous opportunities provided to the prosecution agency they have failed to bring the evidence against the accused person”.
The court order further reads that accordingly the prosecution evidence is hereby closed and accused person is acquitted of the charges leveled against him.
Shah, now in his early 20’s, is suffering from several ailments as the tough interrogations he faced in several torture centers have shattered his dreams and he is not in a condition to do hard labour.
Shah has now started a struggle against those who destroyed his life and wants government of India and its authorities in Kashmir to answer on what pretext they kept him in jail for 6 months in 2006 and for what was he facing a trial for six years. “I still remember the day, March 16, 2006 when I was asked to visit Ram Munshi Bagh Police Station in Srinagar from where I was shifted to Cargo. In the Cargo, Special Task Force (STF) severely tortured me and forced me to agree that I was a Pakistani militant, which I repeatedly denied", says Shah.
Remembering the dark nights in torture centers, Shah said that his backbone suffered a severe injury after which his health has deteriorated badly and he is hardly able to do anything.
However, Shah was then released from jail only after six months on bail, but he had to face the trial in the court in Srinagar. “I had to come from Rajouri to present myself before the court on every hearing."
"During the process I spent a heavy amount of money,” he recalls, saying, it was on November 3, 2012, when the court proved him innocent and acquitted him of all the charges.
Police had arrested him on the charges that during the course of search at Buchwara Dalgate they (Police) recovered 13 cartridges of AK-47, but the prosecution was never able to prove it.
Finally the court in its last decision said the prosecution evidence is hereby closed and the accused person is acquitted of the charges leveled against him. “The precious time that were peak days to make my career wasted in the police custody and court rooms. Now it is my turn to make them pay for it,” he said.(By Sameer Showkin )