Srinagar, July 16
Belying claims by security forces, forensic evidence has established that the five persons killed by security personnel two years ago in Anantnag district were innocent civilians and not terrorists even as Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today sought a CBI inquiry into the alleged fudging of their DNA samples by state government officials. “It has been clearly established that the deceased were not foreign terrorists as claimed by the forces who led the operations but innocent civilians,” Dr Abdullah told the state Assembly.
Dr Abdullah’s reference to the results of a fresh forensic probe was greeted with the thumping of desks.
Contrary to the claims by the security forces, the findings confirmed allegations by the relatives of the five that the men were local civilians and not linked to the massacre of 37 Sikhs in Chhattisinghpora in March, 2000, on the eve of the visit of the then US President Bill Clinton to India.
The Chief Minister said he had recommended a CBI inquiry in view of the “gravity of the offence as well as the attempt made by certain officials to destroy the evidence and to ensure a fair investigation”.
Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Kolkata and the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics in Hyderabad had carried out forensic investigations.
The agency would be requested to expedite the investigation to bring to book the accused, Dr Abdullah said.
Senior Army and police officials had claimed that the five persons were linked to the massacre and that they were “top foreign mercenaries belonging to Pakistan-based Harkat-ul- Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
The bodies of all five persons were exhumed and their DNA samples sent for testing after their relatives turned up claiming that they were innocent locals and not foreign terrorists.
Fresh DNA tests were ordered by the state government following allegations that the samples were fudged.
Dr Abdullah said CFSL and the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics were requested by the state government to collect blood samples from relatives of the deceased and match these with their DNA samples in view of “discrepancies” in the earlier collection of samples and the consequent dispute regarding the identity of the victims.
Those killed were identified as Juma Khan son of Faqeer Khan of Brari Angan, Juma Khan, son of Sher Ali of Brari Angan, Zahoor Ahmad Dalal of Mominabad, Mohammad Yusuf Malik of Ilallan Kapran and Bashir Ahmad Bhat of Kapran, all residents of Anantnag town and the adjoining Pathribal area.
They were killed on March 25, 2000 allegedly by the security forces, four days after the massacre of Sikhs at Chhattisinghpora in the same area.
The police and the security forces had claimed that five foreign militants involved in the massacre had been killed in the Pathribal area. They had been buried at three places in the Pathribal area, near Anantnag.
Replying to a question by CPM member M. Y. Tarigami, the Chief Minister announced that the next of kin of the victims would be granted ex gratia relief as per rules within two days and one dependent of each victim would be absorbed in government service within a week.
Stressing that he would retire from politics after completing his present term, Dr Abdullah rejected charges of discrimination against the Jammu region and
said he would ask the Centre to probe the allegations. Intervening in the state assembly during question hour, Dr Abdullah said the people of Jammu had been “repeatedly saying that Kashmiris have taken a lion’s share of government funds. I will meet the Prime Minister and request him to appoint a judge to see which region has got what”.
Responding to the allegations levelled by BJP and Congress members in the House that Jammu was being discriminated against by the “government dominated by Kashmiris”, the Chief Minister said it was due to this brand of politics being pursued by various parties that “I say Ram Ram (bye bye to politics)”.
Meanwhile, the chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council, Mr Abdul Rashid Dar, has hailed the Chief Minister for “bringing out the truth regarding the killings of innocents” in Pathribal.
