Srinagar, Oct 31 2011 : In Srinagar, the High Court has issued notices to regime led by Omar Abdullah and Indian Defence Ministry to file their objections within a
week regarding re-investigation of an fake encounter of a civilian identified as Abdullah Bhat son of Qadir Bhat of Machil, Kupwara that took place at Janglat Mandi, Islamabad in South Kashmir in 2001.
The orders of a single bench of High Court came in response to a writ petition filed by Zaituna and Jana, mother and sister of the fake encounter victim through their counsel Advocate Zafar Qureshi.
In the petition, it has been said that the encounter that took place at Janglat Mandi, Islamabad on March 1, 2001 was not genuine but a fake encounter in which an innocent Kashmiri youth was killed by the Indian army and dreaded Ikhwanis (government-sponsored gunmen) and later claimed him as foreign militant.
The petitioners have contested the statements and claims of Indian Army and police that 70-year-old foreign militant identified as Mateen Chacha was killed in the encounter.
“The 70-yr-old man killed in the fake gunfight was dubbed as foreign militant and identified by Army as Mohuuddin Rabbani alias Mateen Chacha. But the fact is that the deceased was not a foreign militant but a civilian identified as Abdullah Bhat son of Qadir Bhat of Machil, Kupwara”, it alleged.
“We have been running from pillar to post to know the whereabouts of Abdullah Bhat. We have come to know that he was gunned down by Indian armed forces in 2001 in Janglat Mandi and passed off as a foreign militant”, the mother and sister of Bhat said in their petition.
It said the grave of the victim should be identified and DNA test carried out and matched with those of the family members.
The petitioners demanded that the encounter should be re-investigated by a Special Investigation Team so that culprits are brought to book.
The court after admitting the petition issued notices to authority through Chief Secretary, government of India through Secretary, Ministry of Defence and SSP Islamabad and directed them to file their responses/objections within one week.
It also directed District and Sessions Judge, Islamabad to submit the record related to the case FIR 72/2001 registered at Police Station Islamabad for perusal of the High Court by or before October 18. Source RK Srinagar Thursday, 13 Oct 2011 :