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

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Jammu and Kashmir
iii. Kidnapping and hostage taking
The armed opposition groups were
also responsible for kidnapping and
hostage taking.
On 9 February 2004, members of an
armed opposition group wearing police
uniform reached Lar village in Ganderbal
in Srinagar district in a TATA Sumo
vehicle JK02 289 and abducted Qazi
Mohammad Altaf, nephew of PDP leader
and PHE Minister, Qazi Afzal at gunpoint
and whisked him away to some unknown
destination. 97
On 11 March 2004, two armed cadres
of Jais-e-Mohammad outfit reportedly
stormed a girls’ high school in Khrew
village of Pulwama district and held about
175 terrified students and teachers hostage
as human shields. The two members of the
armed opposition group were reportedly
killed in an intense fighting that ensued
between the Rashtriya Rifles personnel and
the two kidnappers. 98
On the night of 29 April 2004,
members of armed opposition group
allegedly kidnapped Hafizullah Wani from
Primary School Badangar Budgam at
Waterhal in Budgam district and later shot
at him causing injuries. 99
On 23 June 2004, unidentified AOGs
in police uniform abducted a senior
engineer of Indian Railways Construction
(IRCON) International Limited, Sudheer
Kumar Pundeer, his brother, the driver of
the car they were traveling and another
local of Reshipora village in Awantipora
tehsil of Pulwama district. The bodies of
Sudhir Kumar Pundheer and his brother
were recovered from Sagoo-Handhama in
Zainapora area of Shopian on 25 June
2004. The abductors had demanded a
ransom of Rs 50 lakh in exchange for
their release. 100
At 10.30 am on 1 August 2004, two
suspected members of armed opposition
group reportedly entered the house of one
Abdul Rashid, son of Nizam Din at
Taskote in Chingus area of Rajouri district
and kidnapped him. 101
On 23 September 2004, armed
opposition group’s members allegedly
entered into the house of a cousin of
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed, Mufti Sharief-ud-din
in Bob Mohalla village of Bijbehara in
Anantnag district and abducted his son
Mufti Sarwar at gunpoint. They also
allegedly entered into another house
nearby and kidnapped one Muzamil
Ahmad Kakroo. 102
IV. Violence against women
While the controversial Permanent
Resident (Disqualification) Bill 2004 drew
attention to the discrimination against
women in the state, 103 women continued to
bear the brunt of violence by the security
forces and armed opposition groups
because of their gender.
i. Violence by the security forces
The security forces were responsible
for violence against women including
torture, arbitrary detention, rape and
molestation. On the night of 17 February
2004, Ayesha Begum of Narbal area in
97