Delhi: Amnesty International Indian chapter on Saturday termed Supreme Court’s rejection of a review petition seeking to re-open 215 cases of Kashmiri Pandits’ killing in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989-90, as “setback for justice and accountability” in the state.
“The Supreme Court’s decisions are a setback for justice and accountability in Jammu and Kashmir. All allegations of unlawful killings must be investigated by independent civilian authorities and those responsible brought to justice,” Asmita Basu, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India, said in a statement.
“In July this year, the Supreme Court had directed an independent investigation into over 80 cases of alleged extra-judicial executions in Manipur dating back to 1979, ruling that crimes cannot be overlooked only because of the passage of time. This principle should be applied in all cases of alleged human rights abuses.”
On 27 October, the Supreme Court rejected a plea urging it to review its 24 July order when it had dismissed a petition seeking the re-opening of the 215 cases, ruling: “…more than 27 years have passed… No fruitful purpose would emerge, as evidence is unlikely to be available at this late juncture.”
