Srinagar, 06 March: People’s Democratic Party President and the former Chief Minster of J&K, Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday welcomed the recommendation of life imprisonment for the Captain involved in Amshipora fake encounter case.
As the news broke out, Ms Mufti took to her official twiiter handle and tweeted, “Recommended punishment of life imprisonment for Captain involved in Amshipora fake encounter is a welcome step towards creating accountability in such cases. Hope an impartial probe is also ordered in Lawaypora & Hyderpora encounters to prevent repetition of such ghastly incidents.”
Later, Ms Mufti while discussing the issue with various party leaders said, “It is a positive step towards upholding the rule of law & ensuring justice for the victims. It sends a strong message that such acts of violence & abuse of power by those in uniform will not be tolerated.”
For ensuring accountability and inculcating a proactive will for responsibility and justice among security forces, the former CM pointed out, “It is important to note that this case highlights the need for better accountability & oversight mechanisms within the armed forces to prevent such incidents from happening in the first place.”
“Going forward, it is crucial that the armed forces take concrete steps to ensure that their personnel adhere to the highest standards of professionalism & ethical conduct.”
“The fact that the accused was able to commit such a heinous crime and pass off innocent civilians as militants raises serious concerns about the culture of impunity & lack of accountability that often pervades within the military,” added Ms Mufti.
In order to build trust between the civilian population & the military and work towards a peaceful & just society, Ms Mufti urged for conducting thorough investigations into Lawaypora & Hyderpora encounters and holding the perpetrators accountable for their actions.
Ms Mufti, also pinned her hopes on the investigating agencies to probe the recent case, in which the mutilated dead body of Rashid Dar of Kunan village in Kupwara had been found in a forest, after he had gone missing in army custody two months earlier.
It is pertinent to mention that, Ms Mufti back in 2020, when the encounter took place at Amshipora, Shopian had expressed her deep anguish over the killing of three innocent labourers and had raised the demand for probe in her strong worded tweet.
“Shocked to hear about reports of 3 missing labourers reportedly killed on a staged encounter at Shopian. Armed forces have a free hand to operate with impunity. Explains why bodies are allowed to decompose at unknown locations. Probes into recent encounters must be ordered.”
