NO PLAN TO PROBE CIVILIAN KILLINGS IN 2016 UNREST, SAYS MEHBOOBA GOVT
JAMMU: The Jam mu and Kashmir government on Saturday said there is no proposal under consideration to constitute a judicial commission to probe the death of 106 people during the 2016 unrest in the valley.
“No such proposal is under consideration of the government ,” chief minister M eh boob a Mufti, who holds the portfolio of home department, said in a written reply in the legislative assembly to a question by C PI( M) M LA MY Tarigami.
The CPI(M) legislator had asked the government whether it intended to constitute a judicial commission to probe the killings.
M eh boob a said 85 people were killed in the Kashmir valley and one life was lost in the Jammu region in law and order incidents in 2016, following the killing of HizbulMuja hide en commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces.
She said 20 people were killed in incidents of violence in 2017.
The chief minister said 9,042 people were injured between July 2016 and February 27, 2017.
The injured included 6,221 who were hit by pellets and 368 who received bullet injuries.
Mehbooba said a committee headed by the principal secre- tary, home, was constituted on January 27,2017 to determine the eligibility of the families or next of kins of those killed in “law and order disturbances” in Kashmir from July 8, 2016 to November 2, 2016 for consideration and payment of exgratia.
On the recommendations of thecommittee, anex-gratia-relief of ₹5 lakhs each was sanctioned in favour of the families or next of kins of 77 civilians killed in law and order disturbance sin the valley, the chief minister said.
Another committee was constituted under the chairman ship of the divisional commissioner, Kashmir, to identify people who have been permanently or partially disabled in the valley from July 8, 2016 to November 2, 2016, she said.
The committee in the first phase recommended 54 victims for grant of exgratia which was sanctioned by the government on January 5, 2018, she said.
In the second phase, Mehboob a said, the committee recommended 10 more cases in December 2017 for grant of ex gratia relief. The recommendations are being examined.
She said 13 people have been appointed in various departments by the general administration department on extreme compassionate grounds.
The CM said all the injured were treated with due care and specialized treatment was provided whenever required.
She said 936 people were detained under the provisions of the Public Safety Act from July 2016 to December 28, 2017.
“Detention cases are being reviewed by the government from time to time in consultation with the criminal investigation department ... And a good number of persons have also been released from time to time,” she said.
At present, Mehbooba said, there are only 167 people in preventive detention including 16 de te nu es under the provisions of the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
On pellet guns, M eh boob a said these are used sparingly, strictly as per the standard operational procedure for graded response in law and order situation, particularly when all the other means and methods of controlling the agitating mobs, like teargas, ole oresin grenades and stun grenades fail.
“The pellets are fired, as and when required, below the waist line so as to cause minimum damage to the member of the agitating mobs and the violent protesters. Pellet guns are not being used against any peaceful protest ,” she said.