Srinagar: The State Human Rights Commission on Friday asked government to finalize the matter related to relief to NoKs of nine persons “murdered” by paramilitary BSF in “indiscriminate firing” on 6 August 1990 Mashali Mohalla Hawal in Old City here.
A bench headed by chairperson SHRC Justice (Retd) Bilal Nazki passed the orders while disposing of an application that nine persons were killed in Mashali Mohalla by the BSF without any provocation.
“The enquiries got conducted into the matter reveal that on 06-08-1990 Police Station Nownatta Srinagar received an information through reliable source to the effect that some BSF personnel entered the houses of locals of Mashali Mohalla Hawal Srinagar alongwith arms and ammunition and started indiscriminate firing upon civilians due to which 09 civilians died on spot,” reveals a report filed by DGP on 4-08-2013. Soon after the incident, BSF personnel set on fire one residential house of Showket Ahmad Baba son of Ghulam Mohammad and fled away from the spot, the report said. On this information, the DGP said a case (FIR No 57/1990 U/S 302 436 406 RPC) was registered in Police Station Nowhatta Srinagar and investigation of the case was taken up. “The investigation of the case has been closed as challan and the case diary file has been submitted to Government for accord of sanction for launching prosecution.”
The SHRC observed that Police maintains that nine persons got killed but particulars of dead are not given. “Since Police has filed a chargesheet under section 302 RPC It can be assumed that state is of the view that 09 persons were ‘murdered’,” SHRC said. The government has also addressed a letter to government of India on 14 May 2018, seeking sanction for prosecution of security forces for murder of these 09 persons, the SHRC observed. “Whether sanction is granted by Govt of India or not is immaterial as far as entitlement of relief of NOKs of deceased is concerned. Since Govt of J&K maintains that 09 persons were murdered therefore they are entitled to all the reliefs in terms of relevant SROs The matter is disposed of with the direction to Govt to finalize the matter related to relief under various rules within a period of six weeks,” the SHRC added.
