J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Anantnag back to normal
SRINAGAR, April 19 — Situation in Anantnag has improved with the appointment of a commission of inquiry into the Brakpora killings by a retired judge of the Supreme Court, which is to submit its report within three months. The exhumation of five bodies of “foreign militants killed in an encounter at Panchalthan-Pathribal” followed the killing of eight persons at Brakpora on April 3, on the outskirts of Anantnag town, who were protesting against the “civilian killings” at Panchalthan-Pathribal.

Six killed in accidents
JAMMU, April 19 (PTI) — Six persons, including five members of a marriage party, have been killed and 32 injured in separate accidents here, the police said today.

Pressure on Farooq denied
JAMMU, April 19 — A spokesman of the Chief Minister’s secretariat has denied that pressure is being put on Dr Farooq Abdullah concerning the alleged encounter at Panchalthan on March 25.

Anantnag back to normal
From Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 19 — Situation in Anantnag has improved with the appointment of a commission of inquiry into the Brakpora killings by a retired judge of the Supreme Court, which is to submit its report within three months. The exhumation of five bodies of “foreign militants killed in an encounter at Panchalthan-Pathribal” followed the killing of eight persons at Brakpora on April 3, on the outskirts of Anantnag town, who were protesting against the “civilian killings” at Panchalthan-Pathribal.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had to face angry crowds in Anantnag when he visited the area following the death of eight protesters in police firing at Brakpora on April 3. These processonists from various adjoining villages of Acchhabal-Brariangan were protesting against the disappearance of five persons from the area and the mysterious killing of five “militants” at Panchalthan-Pathribal on the night of March 24 and March 25. The “five militants” were killed according to the police, when the security forces launched search operations in the area on the information given by one Mohammad Yaqoob Wagay, a suspect in the Singhpora killings. Wagay, according to the police, provided the information about the five “foreign militants” “involved in the killings of 35 Sikhs at Chitti Singhpora.”

The Chief Minister announced the order of inquiry into the incident while addressing various public meetings in the area. An order to this effect appointing S.R. Pandian, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, to investigate the Brakpora killings was issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Government from Jammu on Monday.

During his visit here yesterday, the Chief Minister, assured a delegation from Anantnag that “law will take its course”. While the members who met him here yesterday demanded justice and stern action against the guilty, the Chief Minister said nobody would be allowed to take law in his own hands.

Justice R.S. Pandian is also to probe the killings of 35 Sikhs at Chitti Singhpora on March 20 that was followed by a series of incidents leading to the death of “five foreign militants” at Pathribal-Panchaltham on March 25, seven militants at Hallan Kokernag on March 29 and eight protesters at Brakpora on the outskirts of Anantnag town on April 3.

The government has ordered compassionate appointments for 32 persons of kith and kin of those killed at Chitti Singhpora. In a similar action, the government on Monday issued orders of compassionate appointments to next of kin of the eight persons killed in the police firing at Brakpora. Ex-gratia relief of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s relief fund were provided each to next of kin of these victims at Brakpora.

A special investigation team (SIT) led by DSP Headquarters, Anantnag under the orders of the Chief Judicial Magistrate on March 29, submitted its preliminary report to the court on April 11. The team is scheduled to submit its first report to the Chief Judicial Magistrate on May 1. According to the reports received here the investigating team has made some recoveries from the “encounter” site at Panchalthan-Pathribal. These recoveries included empty cartridges of various weapons, shrouds of the deceased, which were like the shrouds recovered from the bodies exhumed on April 6 and 7.

Six killed in accidents

JAMMU, April 19 (PTI) — Six persons, including five members of a marriage party, have been killed and 32 injured in separate accidents here, the police said today.

Five members of a marriage party were killed and 30 injured, four of them seriously, when their mini bus overturned near Kathua, 80km from here, early yesterday.

While three persons died on the spot, two others, including the driver of the vehicle, succumbed to their injuries at a Kathua hospital, the police said, adding that the injured had been hospitalised.

Meanwhile, a pedestrian was crushed to death by a truck near here yesterday.

In yet another mishap, two persons, including a woman, were injured yesterday, the police said.

Pressure on Farooq denied
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 19 — A spokesman of the Chief Minister’s secretariat has denied that pressure is being put on Dr Farooq Abdullah concerning the alleged encounter at Panchalthan on March 25.

He said there was no question of the Chief Minister being asked to remain quiet as a special investigating team had been set up under the orders of the Chief Judicial Magistrate for investigating the circumstances leading to the killing of five persons. The outcome of the investigations would determine the future course of action.

The spokesman added that the Chief Minister had already stated that the law would take its course and if it was found that a crime had been committed the accused would be prosecuted.

The spokesman, however, did not explain as to why the law did not take its course and the accused not punished in case of Mora Bachai incident where 19 persons were killed on April 1, 1999.