India News Online » News Analysis » Indian Politics » 

Kashmir : Senior police officers arrested for fake encounters

	February 05, 2007

Kashmir police have arrested two senior police officers allegedly to be at the heart of a rogue police and army ring responsible for a series of fake encounters in central Kashmir.



Ganderbal Senior Superintendent of Police Hans Raj Parihar and Deputy Superintendent of Police Bahadur Ram have been held for their alleged role in the murder of Larnoo resident Abdul Rahman Paddar - one of the five victims of the rogue ring who have so far been identified. Both officers were stripped of their charge last month.



A resident of the village of Larnoo near Kokernag in southern Kashmir, Paddar had disappeared on December 8, 2006 during a visit to Srinagar.



Police investigators began by trying to trace Paddar through his mobile phone. Bharat Sanchar Nigam staff found that while Paddar’s phone number had become inactive, his telephone - identified by its IMEI number - was still running, now fitted with a new SIM card.



Investigators were able to trace the new phone number to Abdul Rashid Wagay, a resident of the town of Hajan. Questioned, Wagay said he had obtained the phone from assistant sub-inspector of police, Farooq Guddu - a key member of Parihar’s counter-terrorism operation in Ganderbal.



During their interrogation, both Guddu and Ahmad said they had acted on the direct instructions of Parihar - a claim the special investigation team set up to probe the Ganderbal killings has spent the past fortnight examining.



Participants in the rogue cell were driven to murder by the prospect of professional advancement and cash rewards.



By questioning Parihar and Bahadur in custody, investigators hope to gain a new insight into at least four separate fake encounters thought to have been organised by the rogue ring in Ganderbal last year. While Paddar’s killing was carried out by the police, the other four murders involved Army jawans.



Hundreds of protesters fought pitched battles with the police when Paddar’s body was exhumed on Feb. 1 at Sumbal in north Kashmir. The protesters demanded a CBI probe into the death and killings in other fake encounters. The body of another victim was exhumed from a graveyard in Ganderbal area on Feb. 2. The state government has ordered a judicial probe into the killing of Paddar. Announcing this in the state Assembly, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the opposition to be constructive in discussing the issue of the human rights situation. National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather asked the Government to send a strong signal that human rights violations would not be tolerated.



The investigations have uncovered a chilling story of three men being picked from the streets by the police, killed and passed off as Pakistani militants. There are reports that at least three separate Army units participated in the cold-blooded murders organised by a group of rogue police officers.





No military solution : Mirwaiz Farooq



Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, back from Pakistan, has said that there can be no military solution to the Kashmir issue. He said the Kashmir peace process is sustainable and called for withdrawal of Indian forces as the first step to resolving the issue. Addressing a gathering in Srinagar on Feb. 1 after a reception by his supporters, the Mirwaiz said during his Pakistan visit he found that the Government, the people and the political parties were all supportive of the Hurriyat’s efforts. He said the Hurriyat supported Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s remarks.



“The first step is withdrawal of India’s forces. In the second stage, the line that divides Kashmir should be erased,” the Mirwaiz said.



Kashmir, he insisted, could not have a military solution. “Hence, the Government of India must give up its traditional stand.”



Referring to the attack on the Hurriyat headquarters on Jan. 31, he said: “We are not deterred. Vested interests will not be allowed to play spoilsport.”



Earlier, as the Mirwaiz landed in Srinagar, thousands of supporters gave him a tumultuous welcome. Over 300 vehicles, carrying supporters, made a beeline for the airport. Some of the supporters carried photographs of Mushtaq Zargar, founder of the now defunct al-Umar Mujahideen. He was one of the three militants whom the former Union Minister Jaswant Singh flew to Kandahar in exchange for the passengers of a hijacked Indian Airlines plane in December 1999. The Mirwaiz met Zargar during his visit to Pakistan.



Before the Mirwaiz left for Pakistan a grenade was hurled at his residence. Later, the hardline faction of the Hurriyat, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, called a general strike against the visit.



A day later, the Mirwaiz launched a scathing attack on hardliners who accused him of a sellout. Addressing the Friday congregation at Jama Masjid, Srinagar, he said Musharraf’s four-point proposal is a good beginning towards the solution of the Kashmir issue. In an obvious reference to Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the Mirwaiz said, “We don’t need their advice. They call us traitors even when we are working to resolve the Kashmir issue along with India and Pakistan.” He thundered from the pulpit of the Jama mosque : “Some people are doing business in Kashmir’s name and they would lose out if the issue is resolved. It is a matter of time.”



“If we do not have to discuss Kashmir with India and Pakistan, should we talk to China then ?”



The young leader claimed that the Hurriyat Conference led by him is the real representative of the people of Kashmir as they have sacrificed their dear ones for the Kashmir cause. “My father and uncle were killed for the Kashmir cause. So we are the representatives of Kashmir,” he said.





No military solution to the Kashmir issue : Musharraf



In a related development, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that decision makers in both India and Pakistan realise that there can be no military solution to the disputes between the two countries. People of both countries want to live in peace. Speaking to media persons in Rawalpindi on Friday, Feb. 2, Musharraf said, relations with India should not become hostage to acts by “confrontationists” who were against the peace process.



While efforts were being made to consult all shades of opinion on the issue, those on a “confrontation course” will not be taken on board because they believe in militancy as a solution and would “remain opposed to whatever we do”, Gen. Musharraf said.



Noting that bilateral relations were better than ever, the President said he was “optimistic” that the peace process would bring about the resolution of long-standing disputes. “Our relations have never been this good before in our history and we are happy about that,” he said.





Differences over autonomy



Political parties came up with different views on autonomy at a meeting of the crucial Working Group on Kashmir during the discussion on Centre-State relations in Jammu on Saturday, Feb. 3.



While the representatives of the Kashmir-based parties suggested that the removal of erosions in Article 370 is the answer to the current turmoil in the state, the Jammu-based parties demanded the annulment of the special status of the state.



Thupstan Chhewang, an MP from Ladakh, demanded Union Territory status for Ladakh as the mountainous area was being discriminated by the Kashmiri rulers.



Justice Sagir Ahmed presided over the meeting that was boycotted by the National Conference (NC). N.N. Vohra, Centre’s interlocutor, was also present. Central minister Saifuddin Soz and Speaker of the Assembly Tara Chand represented the Congress party.



The participants, however, wanted that the mainstream parties like the NC should actively take part in the meeting of the KWG, which was the right forum to raise the demand of autonomy and other related issues.



PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and BJP leader Arun Jaitley too did not participate in the meeting because of their prior engagements. However, representatives of their respective parties put forth their view point at the meeting.



PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beig made a detailed presentation of the party’s proposal of “self-rule”.



Rejecting the demand of the BJP for abrogation of Article 370, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami CPI(M) said we should not shut our eyes to the reality.



Instead, he suggested, that the least that could be done was that the erosions in the Article providing a special status to J&K should be removed.



Harshdev Singh of the Panthers Party submitted a memorandum to the chairman in which the party suggested that an all-party government should be established.