J&K govt will move court to pardon first-time stone pelters
AMNESTY Panel recommends reviews in cases against 4,961 of them, will depend on terms put forth by the police and local govt
J&K CM MEHBOOBA MUFTI HAD ANNOUNCED AMNESTY TO FIRSTTIME STONE PELTERS EARLIER IN THE YEAR
NEW DELHI: As part of its move to review cases filed against stonepelters in the state and grant amnesty to the first-timers, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government has recommended a review in 850 cases against 4,961 people and plans to move local courts for closing these cases, officials told HT on Tuesday.
J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had announced amnesty to first-time stone pelters earlier in the year on advice from the ministry of home affairs. The officials, however, added that the final decision on closure will stay with the respective courts.
HT has also learnt that the state’s recommendation will depend on several terms and conditions put forth by the state police and local government.
The recommendations come from a state government-constiThey tuted committee under the chairmanship of director general of police SP Vaid.
The committee recommended 850 cases involving 4,961 firsttime offenders. These include cases of several juveniles named in multiple cases, government officials said.
“The prosecuting officers will approach the court with individual cases soon. The final decision of course will be taken by the court but police’s recommendation will be a withdrawal of the cases,” Vaid told HT.
He also confirmed that those pardoned will have to have to undertake that they will not persist with stone-pelting.
will also have to undergo counselling sessions held by the state police.
TWO MILITANTS KILLED, WOMAN DEAD IN CLASH
SRINAGAR: A 24-year-old woman was killed on Tuesday in clashes near the site of an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian, where two militants were gun ned down by security forces overnight. The woman, identified as Beauty Jan, wife of Manzoor Ahmad, was hit by a bullet during clashes between security forces and locals near the encounter site in Bhatmaran village of the district in south Kashmir. She died on the way to the hospital.
DIG (south Kashmir) SP Pani confirmed the death in crossfire and asked people to stay away from the site as the operation was still on to nab a third militant.
Some locals reportedly pelted stones to disrupt search ops. One of the slain militants was a foreigner while the other belonged to JeM. Sources said the local militant was Tanveer Ahmad Bhat from Bhatmaran in Shopian.