Notice to J and K govt over DNA profiling of graves

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has issued a notice to the state government on a petition seeking DNA profiling of those buried in unmarked graves.

Admitting the petition, a single bench of Justice Hasnain Masoodi on issued the notice to the state, seeking its response in two weeks.

The court directed petitioner Zahoor Ahmad Mir to place on record the report of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on the issue.

Mir, son of a man who disappeared a decade ago, had sought DNA profiling of all those buried in over 2,000 unmarked graves in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts. These will be matched with relatives of the deceased.

Relatives of disappeared persons say their loved ones have been buried in unmarked graves.

The investigation wing of SHRC last year said there are 2,000 unmarked graves in the three districts. It had also recommended DNA profiling of the deceased to establish their identity.

The SHRC had forwarded the report to the state government for action, which included paying compensation to relatives of missing persons and bringing to book those responsible for killing innocent people. The government is learnt to have received the notice.