DNA nails Pathribal lie but Farooq touches raw nerve

DNA nails Pathribal lie but Farooq touches raw nerve

http://www.indianexpress.com/storyOld.php?storyId=6156

DNA nails Pathribal lie but Farooq touches raw nerve

Srinagar, July 16: The five people killed by security forces in an ‘‘encounter’’ at Pathribal in Anantnag two years back, following the Chittisinghpora massacre, were all civilians and not foreign militants as claimed by officials, admitted Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on the floor of the House today.

Tabling a one-page report from Kolkata’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) of the victims’ fresh DNA samples, Farooq said: ‘‘It has been clearly established that the deceased were not foreign terrorists as claimed by the forces who led the operations, but they were innocent civilians.’’

• March 20, 2000: Unidentified gunmen wearing army uniform raid Chittisinghpora village in the evening, line up the Sikh men and shoot dead 35 • March 25, 2000: Union Home Secretary Kamal Pandey claims the village milkman, Mohammad Yousuf alias Chatti Guru, was arrested on charges of being the militants’ guide. On his tip-off, a raid was conducted at Pathribal village where five ‘‘foreign militants’’ belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen were killed • March 25, 2000: Union Home minister L.K. Advani visits the massacre site in Chittisinghpora and praises the security forces for their swift retaliation in Pathribal, even announcing cash award for the officers. • April 4, 2000: Villagers of Panchalthan, Pathribal and Brari Aangan accuse the police and army of faking the encounter and killing innocent civilians. Eight more villagers killed and several injured in police firing on the protestors • Under severe public pressure, State Govt orders a judicial probe into the ‘‘encounter’’. The bodies are exhumed and samples collected for DNA test. The then Anantnag SSP Farooq Khan and two of his colleagues are suspended. Army also shifts its Victor Force Commanander Maj Gen Kaushal and Commandant of 7 RR battallion Col Ajay Saxena • One year later, Farooq Govt reinstates the officers and even posts Khan as SSP Jammu. The other two officers are also posted to Jammu In 2001, Anantnag Police exonerate Mohammad Yousuf, saying he had nothing to do with either the Chittisinghpora massacre or the Pathribal encounter, lending credence to the claims of a fake encounter • March 2002: Report of DNA tests arrive from CFSL, Hyderabad, revealing that the samples were tampered with before being submitted for tests. State Govt immediately orders that fresh samples be taken by officials of CFSL, Kolkata and CFSL, Hyderabad directly. The team of doctors from Govt Medical College suspended on charges of tampering with the samples.

He added: ‘‘In view of the gravity of the offence made by certain officials to destroy the evidence, and to ensure a fair probe I have recommended that the investigation be taken over by the CBI, who will also be requested to expedite the process to bring the accused to the trial court.’’ The Chief Minister told the House that he would ask Union Home Minister L.K. Advani to appoint a team to ensure speedy investigation.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Farooq said: ‘‘The perpetrators of these killings will not only be dismissed from service but will also find themselves in the jail.’’ He added that ex-gratia relief for the victims’ families would be sanctioned in two days and their next of kin would get a government job within a week.

The CFSL report has put both the J&K Police and the Army in the dock. Both police officials and the Army top brass had maintained that the five killed in Pathribal on March 24, 2000 were foreign militants who were responsible for the massacre of 35 Sikhs in Chittisinghpora on March 20, 2000. The massacre had coincided with then US president Bill Clinton’s visit to India.

Disputing the official statement, the victims’ relatives and neighbours had contended that the five people had been picked up from the village, killed in a fake encounter and then dubbed as foreign militants.

The Army had even ‘‘identified’’ the victims, incorporating ‘‘Abu’’ in all their names, as generally found in that of foreign militants. But Farooq told the House that ‘‘the report received from CFSL, Kolkata has clearily established the identities of the deceased as Juma Khan, son of Faqeer Khan, Zahoor Ahmad Dalal, son of Abdul Gaffar Dalal of Mominabad in Anantnag, Juma Khan, son of Sher Ali of Brari Angan village, Mohammad Yousf Malik, son of Kabir and Bashir Ahmad Bhat, son of Aziz of Hassan Kapran.’’

The state government had ordered a probe into the Pathribal killings following protests by the villagers, in which eight more civilians were killed in police firing. It had also instructed that the bodies be exhumed. Subsequently, a probe conducted by Justice Pandian blamed the CRPF and J&K Police for the deaths.

In March this year, the government had asked the CFSL, Kolkata and CFSL, Hyderabad to take fresh DNA sample after the earlier samples were reported to have been tampered with by state government officials. Both the institutes then collected blood samples from the relatives of the deceased and the bodies in April this year.

Replying to a question raised by an Opposition legislator, Farooq told the House that the state government had also asked the Centre to appoint a new judge to probe the Chittisinghpora massacre.