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Kashmir: Doctors and police officials suspended in Shopian case

	June 29, 2009

The special investigation team of the Jammu and Kashmir police investigating the rape and murder of two women in Shopian submitted its status report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shopian, on Wednesday, June 24. In its report, the SIT has said that they are expecting a breakthrough in the case.



On Thursday, June 26, the state government suspended two doctors who had conducted the post-mortem of the victims for professional incompetence and negligence. Earlier in the week, the Government suspended five officials including the former police chief of Shopian district. This was based on the findings of an interim report submitted by retired Judge Justice Muzaffar Jan. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ordered proceedings to be launched against police, administrative and medical personnel for contributing to the destructive, dissipation and suppression of evidence in the case.



Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has called for an impartial probe into the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian. Speaking after his release from house-arrest, he said the people did not have faith in the investigation being conducted by the Muzaffar Jan commission.





Killing of women by militants goes unnoticed



In the uproar following the Shopian incident, the brutal killings of women by militants in the state have gone unnoticed. In the first case, a 17 year old girl was killed just a few kilometers away from Shopian. In the second incident, a 45 year old woman in Sopore was shot dead because her daughter and son in law worked with the police force. The police said the barbaric killings went unnoticed because of fear as they were undertaken by militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen, armed wing of the Jamaat-e-Islamia.



On Friday, June 26, the valley was largely shut down on a call given by supporters of hard line Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani against his detention at an undisclosed location. At least two persons were injured as the police reportedly opened fire to disperse stone-pelting protesters at a place in Shopian district.



Indian and Pakistani troops come together at annual mela



Indian and Pakistani troops gathered with their families to remember the 18th century saint Baba Chambliyal on Zero Line in Samba district on June 25. The occasion was the annual mela (gathering) held to remember the saint, revered on both sides of the border.



The Pakistani Rangers offered a chaddar and sweets at the tomb of Baba Daleep Singh Manhas, called Baba Chambliyal. The Border Security Force in return despatched trolleys of shakkar and sharbat (soil and water) from the famous shrine. Devotees believe that the shakkar and the sharbat of the shrine heal skin ailments.



Tipu Malik, who was in the Pakistani delegation and whose forefathers hailed from Samba district, said : “Though disgruntled politicians in both countries continue to rake up the Kashmir dispute to further their hidden agenda, youth in Pakistan simply do not believe there is a dispute.’’



Malik said: “There are elements in Pakistan who stake claim over Kashmir and swear to live and die by it. But the Pakistani youth want to break free and see peace and love between the two countries.”



Centre to help protect J&K lakes



Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has assured State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the Centre’s full support in protecting the state’s environment and forests. He was speaking after a joint aerial survey of the prestigious Dal Lake with the Chief Minister. They also visited other premier lakes in the Kashmir valley.



Ramesh said that forty per cent work of the Rs.300 crore Dal Lake cleaning project has been accomplished. The remaining part would be completed within the next two years.



Expressing concern over the dwindling of the Wullar Lake which used to be once the largest fresh water lake in Asia, Ramesh said that he attached the highest priority to its restoration. On the action plan for the cleaning of the Jhelum, the Union Minister said the plan is under discussion, and that he would like to take up he project on the lines of the Ganga and the Yamuna cleaning plans.





Amarnath pilgrimage starts from Pahalgam route



The Amarnath yatra, or pilgrimage, started from the traditional Pahalgam route on June 26. The pilgrimage has already been in progress via the Baltal route from June 15. The yatra through the Pahalgam route could not be started earlier because of bad weather conditions and accumulation of heavy snow on several patches.