New Delhi, March 05, 2011: In New Delhi, Peoples Union for Democratic Rights in a press release has expressed outrage at the claim advanced by the Indian Army that no civil administration could register an FIR against army personnel for their actions without the sanction of the Indian government.
The Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR in its press release voiced its deep concern at the policy of drift that had taken over and apathy of the authorities when it comes to a crackdown on acts of brutal crime committed by Indian army and police in Kashmir.
The PUDR said this had come to define India’s policy on Jammu and Kashmir where even the elected representatives or the puppet administration were powerless to bring the perpetrators of heinous crimes to justice and helpless to end the state of impunity.
“This brings out how a colonial approach seems to prevail where Jammu and Kashmir is concerned”, the statement read.
The human rights watchdog says that the Patrhibal incident once again brings focus on the critical issue of impunity provided by the draconian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
“Thus, twelve years after the crime was committed, the apex court is deciding whether or not the army is correct in shielding killers,” the statement ridiculed.
“The Pathribal killing of March 25, 2000 has had a chequered history, not the least because the army fought to prevent CBI from prosecuting its personnel. Nine days later, on April 3, 2000, people protesting Pathribal killings were fired at by the CRPF at Barakpora, killing seven and injuring fifteen persons.”
“Two days later, the National Conference administration ordered an enquiry and DNA samples were taken. In March 2002, it was found that the samples had been tampered with. By April 2002, it became clear that the five killed were not ‘foreigners’,” the civil body observed. News agencies press note