New Delhi, January 11, 2012: The succession war for the Indian Army Chief’s post is getting murkier. Lt General Bikram Singh, the top contender for the post of next Army Chief of India is hit by killing of civilian in Kashmir Valley. The Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Bikram Singh is involved in a decade-old fake encounter case. In March 2001, the Indian army had claimed to kill a militant in a shootout in Kashmir. Lieutenant General Bikram Singh was then the Brigadier heading the 5- Sector Rashtriya Rifles unit headquartered in Islamabad.
A writ petition has been filed by a Kashmiri mother, Zaituna, saying that the youth killed in the March 1, 2001, SouthKashmir Islamabad shootout was her son Abdullah Bhat, a resident of Machil of Kupwara district.
The shootout took place in Janglat Mandi, Islamabadunder Bikram Singh's control.
While the army claimed that this man was a wanted foreign militant, his family insisted that his name was Abdullah Bhat, a daily wage earner.
Bhat’s mother Zaituna filed a petition in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court last year said that the killed youth was her son.
The family now seeks reinvestigation of the case and wants the body to be exhumed for a DNA test. The case is now expected to be taken up for hearing on February 13 when the High Court re-convenes in Srinagar after a month-long winter vacation.
Even the row over Indian Army Chief General VK Singh’s age was not settled, his likely successor Lt Gen Bikram Singh has been hit by a slew of case including being involved in a fake-encounter. Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh, currently the senior most lieutenant general of the Indian Army is facing a murder charge in the High Court of Kashmir.
Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh staged a 2001 fake encounter in Kashmir, inwhihc he had killed a youth by caliming him a foreign militant, but later a case was filed in the Srinagar High Court, that the killed man was a resident of Machil area in Kupwara. Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh was then brigading the 5 Sector Rashtriya Rifles unit headquartered Islamabad district of Kashmir.
In the writ petition filed by a Kashmiri woman, Zaituna, it was said that the youth, killed in the March 1, 2001, shootout was her son Abdullah Bhat.
The petition seeks investigation of the case and remains of the killed youth exhumed for DNA test. "The photographs of the victim taken by police must also be shown to the family for identification," the petitioner said. The court in its order on Oct 13, 2011, sought all records pertaining to the case for perusal.
It is now expected to be taken up for hearing in February when the High Court re-convenes in Srinagar after a month-long winter vacation.
The petition seeking re-investigation of Janglat Mandi fake encounter was listed for hearing before Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar on December 28. However, the petition was deferred and is now expected to be listed for further hearing in February, when High Court, Srinagar re-convenes after month long winter vacations.
The Janglat Mandi fake encounter was first highlighted by a youth empowerment organization namely Youth Empowerment Services of Kashmir (YES-Kashmir), headed by Tanweer Ahmad, who in November 2011 held a protest march in New Delhi to highlight the real story behind Janglat Mandi encounter. sources