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| Constitute SIT to probe youth's disappearance since 2003: HC to police | | | S Sabaqat
Srinagar, Nov 4: Finally a mother's prayers and her endevour to get justice for her missing son, Jammu and Kashmir High Court in a landmark judgment after a decade today ordered constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising Deputy Superintendents and to be headed by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) to investigate into the disappearance of youth in 2003 from Srinagar.
A single bench of the J&K High Court comprising Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey while hearing a petition filed by youth's mother Farida, seeking whereabouts of her son, today observed to ensure speedy investigation in the matter, it has become necessary to direct constitution of Special Investigation of Team (SIT).
The court also directed the Inspector General of Police Kashmir to constitute the SIT of officers not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police and to be headed by the senior officer not below the rank of DIG within one week. The court also directed that SIT to take the investigation and file a status report within six weeks. According to mother of disappeared youth Shoukat Ahmad, her son is in Army custody as the security agencies had reportedly said in March this year that he was planning suicide attack in Srinagar.
Here it needs to mention that in their issues of March 24 and March 27, 2013, two newspapers while quoting sources had said that the security agencies had inputs that four militants namely Chota Hamra, Abu Saad, Showkat Ahmad Paul of Lawaypora Srinagar and Hilal Moulvi of Palhalan were trying to carry out a strike in the civil lines area of Srinagar city. Farida, the mother of the youth, has also sought directions to Union of India through Ministry of Defence to disclose the whereabouts of her son who allegedly was taken into custody on June 23, 2003 by one Major Pratap posted with army unit at Shariefabad. The petitioner has also sought directions to Union of India through Ministry of Defence and state government to protect the life of her son.
In her petition, Farida, the mother of the youth also has sought directions to the SHO that he should appraise the court about the steps taken to trace out her missing son as also whether Major Pratap was taken into custody for questioning in this matter.
According to petition that her 20 year old son was studying at Amar Singh College Srinagar in BA final year and has gone missing on June 23, 2003 following which the family filed a report in Police Station Parimpora onJune 24. She alleged that Police did not carry out any investigation to look for the whereabouts of the missing son.
It was also submitted to court that a complaint was filed before the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) which sought the status report from the IGP Kashmir. I
n compliance, the IGP submitted a report to the SHRC on September 11, 2003 sating that all possible efforts were being made to trace out the missing person but no clue was got, states the petition. Petitioner also alleged that it was on July 25, 2004, the petitioner came to know that her son was picked up from Pratap Park by Major Pratap of Kilo Force at Shariefabad HMT and was taken to an unknown place yet has not been released from the illegal captivity hitherto.
The petitioner also stated that observing non action from Police later has also filed plea before Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar to seek directions for registration of an FIR against the accused Army Major," reads the petition.
Meanwhile after seeking status report from concerned police, the CJM directed the SHO Kothibagh to register a case and conduct investigation into the matter under whose jurisdiction the area of alleged missing was registered and on directions of Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar, an FIR was registered with police station Kothi Bagh on January 18, 2005.
The petitioner also had alleged despite the fact an FIR was registered, and recording of statement of the one Khursheed Ahmad, source of Major Pratap, who had revealed that Shoukat Ahmad Paul was taken into illegal custody by Major Pratap but no action was taken till date. |
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