Srinagar, August 15, 2012: In Srinagar, several human rights groups have expressed shock over the regime led by Omar Abdullah and Indian establishment or authorities announcement of awards to tainted police officials involved in heinous crimes, including custodial killings, fake encounters and rapes. The regime has awarded around 50 police officials with Presidential, Police and different medals.
The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) has said that the police officers responsible for serious human rights violations in Kashmir are being decorated with awards. It is despicable that the police officers responsible for serious human rights violations are receiving awards despite the crimes they have perpetrated. Today’s awards to some of the Jammu and Kashmir Police officers are an act of celebrating tyranny and victimization, Khurram Pervaiz said
Talking to media men in Srinagar, the Coalition of Civil Societies co-ordinator, Khurram Parvez, said several awardees had been booked for serious human rights violations and even then the government had chosen them for the honors.
Citing the case of former superintendent of police, Sopore, Muhammad Altaf Khan, who has been awarded with President’s medal, Parvez said the Human Rights Commission of Kashmir assisted by the authority had, in November 2008, directed registration of a case against him for molestation and torture of a woman. He was involved in the custodial killing of a Sopore youth, Nazim Rasheed.
However, instead of obeying the HRC or taking action on the custodial killing, the government has awarded him the medal, he said.
“It is the policy of the Government of India and statement governments to honor the tainted officials and murderers which amounts to rubbing salt into the wounds of people,” Parvez said.
Contrarily, Parvez said, the authority had ignored the superior claims of many a meritorious and honest police official and denied them their deserved awards. He cited the case of Bashir Ahmad Yatoo, who had exposed the unmarked graves during his stint in the HRC, which had won him global applaud.
Another police official, Waseem Qadri, who had handled a sensitive case with finesse had, instead of being promoted and awarded, been demoted, he said.
The JKCCS spokesman, in a statement issued in Srinagar said that August 15 awards to some of the Police officers were an act of celebrating tyranny and victimisation.
He said that Superintendent of Police, Altaf Ahmad Khan was one of the officers who had been awarded with the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry. Altaf is notoriously known for perpetrating human rights violations in the areas where he has served.
The JKCCS recalled that on July 3, 2004, a 16 years old girl was abducted from her school by Altaf Ahmad Khan, the then Deputy Superintendent of Police in Handwara, and was taken to the Zachaldara Police Post.
The girl was kept at the Police Post for three hours. Altaf Ahmad Khan and his associates tortured her. . Altaf Ahmad Khan tore her clothes. Her shirt and pyjama were removed and she was thrown on the floor. When she asked for water and she was given water with salt and chilli. A heavy roller was rolled over her legs as well.
Altaf Ahmad Khan kicked her in the abdomen and this resulted in her falling unconscious.
Subsequently, the victim realised that she had been raped while she was unconscious, as she was bleeding profusely from her vagina, he added. The victim was hospitalized for close to fifty days where she was operated upon and her uterus was removed.
He said, “the girl approached the Human Rights Commission of Kashmir and on November 19, 2008 the final decision was issued that the victim had been subjected to the worst type of human rights violations at the hands of two lady constables and the Dy.S.P. Altaf Ahmad Khan,” adding that no investigations have taken place.
Similarly, the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society reminded that on July 31, 2011 Nazim Rashid Shalla died in police custody in Sopore, due to torture, after being arrested by police and the Indian army personnel. In the extra-judicial execution of Nazim Rashid Shalla, Altaf Ahmad Khan was implicated and transferred from Sopore, On 26th January 2012, police officer Altaf Ahmad Khan received Gallantry Award and was promoted as the Superintendent of Police and now he received a President’s Police Medal for Gallantry.
Pertinently in 2008, it was reported in the media that Indian Supreme Court judges Aftab Alam and G.S. Singhvi made observations in court in relation to the practice of fake encounters for rewards in Jammu and Kashmir. On the other hand, police officers showing exemplary service towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir have either been dumped or reprimanded.
In the past two decades several armed forces personnel and Police officers including Special Officers Group notoriously known for human rights violations have received gallantry awards, which suggest the institutional endorsement of the crimes perpetrated by these men in uniform. This policy of awards and the perpetual impunity in Jammu and Kashmir shows the complete disregard of the Indian state towards the human, civil, political and democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the other hand Police officers who have shown exemplary service towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir have either been dumped or reprimanded. The police officer who conducted the investigation on unmarked graves and mass graves in North Kashmir on the orders of human rights commission of Kashmir has not been encouraged. The Assistant Superintendent of Police, Bandipora after carrying out investigation regarding the recent fake encounter killing carried out by Indian Army, was demoted and humiliated, which has sent a message to other officers that performing their duty diligently is undesirable for the government.