Srinagar: Kashmir High Court Bar Association on Wednesday demanded a judicial probe into the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mushtaq Ahmad Chopian inside a police station in Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
“The Bar Association expresses its deep concern over the death of Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan of Tral, who was arrested on 09.01.2018 at Sopore and while in police custody, died allegedly in a grenade attack near police station Tral on 26.02.2018 which has been doubted by his relatives and neighbours, who allege that he was killed in a fake encounter,” a spokesman of the lawyers body said in a statement issued here.
“The Bar Association demands that instead of ordering a magisterial enquiry and conducting of an internal investigation, the matter, should be got probed through a judicial authority and the result of such an enquiry should be made known to the pubic quickly,” the lawyers body added.
It also strongly condemns the summoning of youth and “snatching of their identity cards by the army in Ashmuji village of Kulgam and beating and forcing them to do labour jobs in the camp.”
“The Bar Association maintains that by calling the youth to their camp and beating them over there and also forcing them to do labour jobs, the army is violating their legal as well as fundamental rights as well the safeguards available to a person, in a conflict area under the International law.”
The lawyers body said it feels that the statements made by three boys should not be brushed aside so easily. “International Community as well as the Human Rights Organisation, functioning all over the world, should therefore, take immediate notice of these events and come forward to stop the humiliation of the people of Kashmir at the hands of Indian Army.”
The lawyers body also condemns the arrest of 4 life convicts namely Mohammad Ayoub Dar, Mohammad Ayoub Mir, Nazir Ahmad Sheikh and Showkat Ahmad Khan, who had been released on parole and in respect of whom the High Court had passed various interim orders directing that they should not be taken in custody, until the disposal of their cases pending in the High Court. “The police has not only arrested them but after lodging them in Central Jail, Srinagar, but three of them namely Mohammad Ayoub Dar, Mohammad Ayoub Mir and Nazir Ahmad Sheikh have been shifted to Kotebalwal Jail, Jammu in flagrant violation of the orders of the High Court. The jail authorities have also ignored and defied the order of the Designated Court under TADA/POTA, Jammu dated 03.12.2012 in respect of Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, which court, after awarding life imprisonment to him, had directed that he be lodged in Central Jail, Srinagar to serve out the sentence.”
The lawyers said the jail authorities have also violated the order of the High Court in respect of Zia Mustaffa, in respect of whom the High Court had directed that he should not be shifted outside the Central Jail Srinagar until the disposal of a revision petition filed by the State and the order of closure of prosecution evidence in his case though the case is pending consideration in the High Court. “The police and jail authorities have also not taken any pity on the condition of Showkat Ahmad Khan, who suffered a heart stroke, inside the jail, after his arrest and whose condition for want of medical treatment has further deteriorated inside the jail, thereafter. “
The Bar Association said that it has decided to bring all the facts to the notice of the High Court and seek initiation of appropriate contempt proceedings against all those, who have flouted and are flouting the orders of the High Court with impunity.
