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2017 killings at encounter sites; SHRC seeks report from J&K govt

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 5/4/2018 12:41:39 AM

SRINAGAR, May 3: The State Human Rights Commission( SHRC) has sought a detailed report from the state government about the 2017 killings near encounter sites in Kashmir Valley.
The directions from the Commission came in the backdrop of the petition filed by chairman International Forum For Justice And Human Rights Mohammad Ahsan Untoo in which he has sought directions to investigate the killings at encounter sites during 2017 by investigating wing of State Human Rights Commission.
The petitioner, in his petition, has claimed that the graph of killings rose massively in 2017 as compared to previous years. As many as 450 persons including 124 armed forces personnel, 217 militants, 108 civilians and one Ikhwani were killed in the conflict. The much hyped propaganda of peace by the government falls apart when one looks at the scale of unabated violence and gross human rights violations in the form of killings, extrajudicial executions, torture, enforced disappearances, media gag, arrests, surveillance, use of excessive force,” reads the petition.
The petition reads that among 108 civilian killings, 20 people died in cross LoC shelling, 19 were killed near encounter sites by armed forces, 22 were killed by unknown gunmen, 16 persons were killed by suspected militants, nine were killed by troopers on a day when bye-elections were held and four died in pellet firing.
In his prayers, the petitioner appealed to the Commission to pass instant and appropriate orders for the investigation of these civilian killings and direct the concerned authorities to compensate the victim families.
Taking cognizance of the petition, learned members of the commission Abdul Hamid Wani directed chief secretary and Director General of Police to submit a detailed report about these killings. The case has been listed for next hearing on July 2.