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| Govt unveils Jan panel report, main culprits still not known | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 10: After nearly 40 days of rigorous and hyped probe, the Government today said that it has adopted the report of the one-man Commission of inquiry headed by Justice (retd) Muzaffar Jan but ironically the voluminous report does not carry any information about the real culprits involved in rape and murder of two women in Shopian.
Accepting the recommendations of the judicial commission which probed the Shopian rape and murder incident, the government has decided to set up a Special Investigation Team under state’s IG (CID) to probe the role of the suspended policemen.
Law Minister Abdul Rahim Rather told a press conference here today that "the Commission, being aware of its delicate duty to uphold the majesty of law, has also a duty to identify the person or persons, who may, under law, be responsible for the present ruthless crime”.
To identify the real culprit, he said, extensive investigation, by a competent and dedicated team of professional investigators, with all modern facilities, is required. However, the intensive investigation is bound to take some more time. The Commission with lime constraint of a few days more, and limitations to confine its report to the specific points under reference, thereby restricting the jurisdiction of the investigation, the Commission cannot undertake detailed investigation, which may require raids, search, arrest, detention for sustained. Interrogation of number of persons suspected of the commission of the crime.
“Although conclusive evidence to identify the culprit, has not been furnished before the Commission because of unfortunate obstructions caused by local residents and large section of society, encouraged by some dissenting elements, in the working of the Commission, yet there is material on the file to hold, that the involvement of some agency of the J&K Police, in the present incident, cannot be completely ruled out”, said the Law Minister.
Rather said in pursuance of the findings/recommendations of the Commission, the Government has decided that the four Police personnel, already under suspension, are to be arrayed as accused in the FIR. No. 112/09 dated 6.6.2009 registered with the Police Station Shopian insofar as their role in the destruction, dissipation and suppression of evidence is concerned. He said a case will also be registered against Javed Iqbal Matoo, the then SP for giving false' evidence before the Commission. The SIT will conduct further investigations in the case in accordance with the law and in terms of the directions of the Hon'ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Judicial Commission, headed by Justice (Retd.) Muzaffar Jan, had submitted its final report recommending prosecution of four policemen and a forensic official on the charge of destruction of evidence. Confirming the charge, Rather told the media that the suspended officials- then Shopian SP, DySp, SI, and another official- will be interrogated and even made to undergo narco analysis if required.
He said FIR will be registered against the policemen as also the suspended Forensic Laboratory officials and further administrative action was also on the cards. He also confirmed that, as per the state HC order, the bodies of the victims will be exhumed for another post-mortem.
He said the CRPF battalion posted near the spot of the incident will also be interrogated by the SIT. He did not specify any deadline given for the investigation.
The minister, however, evaded the question of who committed the crime, saying that the government will bring the culprit to justice. “It has happened for the first time in the history of Kashmir that a judicial commission has found the police men guilty and action has been taken,” he insisted.
The judicial commission was appointed on June 1 following widespread protests by the locals during which two persons lost their lives and scores were injured in firing by security forces.
Four police officers including the then Shopian SP, an official of Forensic Science Laboratory and two doctors of Pulwama hospital were placed under suspension following recommendation by the Commission in its interim report submitted on June 21.
The Commission was required to submit the report within a month. However, the state government granted it 10 days extension following a request.
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