Fresh custodial killing in Kashmir brings back horrors from the past
Shahana Butt
Press TV, Indian-Controlled Kashmir
The death of a 23-year-old youth in police custody has raised concerns among people in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Authorities claim the youth was an over ground worker for the pro-freedom militia and died while fleeing the police custody during a night raid. The family of the deceased youth however challenges the police’s claim.
In Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Sopore town the death of a 23-year-old youth in the police custody has shocked the Muslim majority Himalayan region. Irfan Ahmad Dar was arrested by the government forces on September 14th on the charge of being an over ground worker for the pro-freedom militia. Dar allegedly died in police custody earlier this week. Officials say the youth tried to escape the police custody while being accompanied by them for an overnight raid.
Shouting pro-freedom slogans, the family of the deceased youth accused police of fabricating the truth, labeling their son as a member of a militia and killing him in custody.
Irfan’s family has demanded an impartial probe into they what they call a ‘cold blooded murder’, following which a magisterial probe has been ordered. However, keeping in consideration the fate of previous such probes not many are hopeful of the outcome of this one.
New Delhi has time and again denied access to international watchdogs, investigating human rights violations across the world including the United Nations. With the abrogation of Kashmir’s special status in august 2019, the government of India abolished many commissions that were set to hear the cases regarding the violation of human rights in the region.
With the closure of Kashmir’s State human rights commission, the government halted the probe of over 10,500 allegations of human rights violations against security forces in Kashmir. Indian forces in Kashmir have been accused of enforced disappearances, custodial deaths, torture, fake encounters rape and molestation. New Delhi outright denies these allegations and say all such cases are being probed from time to time and punished if at all found guilty.
Irfan’s death in police custody remains a mystery until proved otherwise, but for many others whose loved ones are in different jails across India, the news has become a nightmare as it brought back haunting memories of similar incidents from the past.
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