annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Jammu and Kashmir
several lakhs rupees as ransom. When
Khan confronted the imposters, they
opened fire, killing him and injuring four
others. People from the neighbourhood
gathered and apprehended the two
imposters, who were identified as
Assistant Sub-Inspector Mohammad
Yousuf and constable Farooque Ahmad.
Three of them managed to escape. 45
The use of disproportionate force
against the protestors of human rights
violations also resulted in arbitrary
deprivation of the right to life. On 26
February 2004, Mushtaq Ahmad Wani was
reportedly killed and two others,
Mohammad Akbar and Suhail Ahmad,
were wounded when police opened fire at
the demonstrators at Bandipore town in
Baramullah district. The villagers were
reportedly protesting against the torture of
two villagers Ghula Mohammad Bhat and
Abdul Ahad by the security forces after
they refused to accompany them to a forest
area. 46
On 29 November 2004, a contingent
of the Rashtriya Rifles launched a search
operation in the area of Hushroo village in
Budgam district early in the morning and
allegedly picked up a group of local youth
and subjected them to torture. The
villagers protested and attempted to break
the cordon. As the protesters started
marching towards the Teshil headquarters,
the troops allegedly opened fire on them
resulting injuries to three of them. Two of
them, Farooq Ahmad Wani and Ghulam
Hassan Mugloo later succumbed to their
injuries in a local hospital. The army
claimed that the civilians got killed in
crossfires. 47
On 29 November 2004, an elderly
civilian, Abdul Khalid Sheikh was
reportedly killed and four other injured
when troops of the Rashtriya Rifles
allegedly opened fire on demonstrators
during a cordon and search operation at
Hakabara-Hajan in Baramulla district. 48
On 25 December 2004, BSF jawans
allegedly shot dead a mentally challenged
person, Shamshad Ahmad Ganai at
Sherbagh near Nowdal in the Tral area in
Pulwama district after he did not stop on
their order. 49
iii. Arbitrary arrest, detention and
torture
The arrest of political activists has been
a common practice in Jammu and Kashmir.
Acting upon information provided by their
informers, security forces usually conduct
raids, arrest and detain suspects and torture
them. Several innocent persons including
family members are allegedly harassed and
tortured by security agencies based on the
false information provided by the informers
sometimes because of personal enmity. 50
On the night of 14 January 2004, SOG
personnel posted at Keeri Pattan in
Baramulla district allegedly forced their
entry into the houses of Mohammad
Abdullah Mir, Ghulam Mohammad Shah,
Ghulam Nabi Mir, Abdul Wahab Ahangar
and Abdul Salam Ahangar and ransacked
their houses. The security personnel also
beat up the family members. The State
Human Rights Commission intervened in
91