2010 Killings: Difficult to Hold a Particular Agency Responsible, says Justice Koul

KL Report

SRINAGAR

Justice (retd) M L Koul who heads one-man judicial commission to probe the killing of over 120 civilians during unrest in Kashmir Valley in 2010 Tuesday claimed that the families of the victims are interested in securing government jobs rather than punishing the guilty government forces personnel. Koul claimed that except four families all the families of the 2010 victims have received an exgratia of Rs 5 lakh each from the Government of India.

Refuting the allegations that Commission is buying time, Justice (retd) M L Koul during a chat with CNS said that all the statements that the Commission had recorded and the petitions it had received were washed away in last year’s flood fury.

“The office of the Commission located in the ground floor at Civil Secretariat was hit by floods and we lost all the records. We are on the job and so far we have received some 62 petitions regarding the killing of over 120 youth in 2010 summer agitation,” he said.

Responding to a question, Koul said that it is difficult to blame a particular security agency for 2010 killings.

“CRPF was not the only agency present in the field in 2010. There was local police, counter insurgency group SOG, Army and men from other agencies to control the situation. Blaming a particular agency for the killings is not fair. Most of the witnesses fail to raise a finger on a particular agency and they only maintain either police or CRPF men killed his relative. It is very difficult to hold a particular security man responsible for the killing,” Koul said.

When asked Police in its FIR has categorically maintained that Rafeeqa Banoo wife of Abdul Gani Teeli of Omapora Budgam was put to death by target fire on 13 September 2010 by armed men, Koul said that Commission agrees that it was a target killing but the difficulty is that FIR does not mention the agency responsible for the killing. He said that in some cases the witnesses have mentioned the name of the agency and the Commission will direct them to appear before it in appropriate time.

“You will not believe, most of the victims demand government jobs and are not interested in punishing the guilty. They accuse Commission of buying time because the Commission cannot provide them government jobs. Each family has taken Rs five lakh each from the Government of India and we will recommend GoI to provide them more financial assistance,” he said.

from Kashmir Life http://ift.tt/1J9m02C
via IFTTThttp://ift.tt/1iGhVXj