JOIN USSpecial teams to probe J&K unrest killings
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday announced the formation of Special Investigation Teams to probe the summer unrest, while declaring ex gratia for those killed or injured during the agitation.
Making an announcement in the state Assembly, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the SITs would probe the killing of college lecturer Shabir Mangoo at Khrew in south Kashmir and ATM guard Riyaz Shah at Karan Nagar in Srinagar and similar incidents.
She also announced the formation of a SIT in each district to investigate the killings and injuries in its confines and to ascertain if excessive force was used to deal with the situation.
Shah (20) died of pellet injuries. The postmortem report said 360 pellets were found in his body.
Mangoo died after he was reportedly thrashed by army troops during raids in Khrew village. The army later regretted the killing and ordered a court of inquiry.
The five-month unrest triggered by the July 8 killing of militant commander Burhan Wani left nearly 90 people dead.
Mehbooba said the SITs would be asked to submit their reports in a time-bound manner. She assured the House that action would be taken on the report, if required.
The chief minister also announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the unrest, adding that jobs would be considered in the cases of extreme compassion. She also said job opportunities would be provided to those blinded during the agitation. She announced a rehabilitation package for those who suffered varying levels of disability.
Mehbooba said she had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to ensure students blinded during the agitation went to Delhi and other places for their education.
Only 130 people still remain in judicial custody for protest-related incidents, while “the rest have been released on bail,” she said. Of the 463 detained under the Public Safety Act, 145 have been released.
During the last Unified Command meeting, Mehbooba had strongly instructed security forces to return local youths involved in militancy to their families. So far, six youths have been rescued during encounters, with assistance from their families.