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Army admits ‘lapses’ in Bomai - Court Of Inquiry Indicts JCO, 2 Soldiers: Srinagar, Mar 20: After a government inquiry indicted army for killing two civilians in Bomai Sopur last month in unprovoked firing, the Army’s Court of Inquiry has also indicted two soldiers and a junior commissioned officer in the incident.
“The high level Army Court of Inquiry headed by a Brigadier has been completed. The inquiry has held the Junior Commissioned Officer and two soldiers of 22 Rashtriya Rifles, who were involved in the Bomai incident, accountable for various lapses,” said a defense spokesperson in a statement here.
The charge against them, the spokesman said, include “failure to exercise desired command and control by the JCO” besides the failure of two soldiers “to exercise restraint in the handling of their weapon during the incident.”
“Disciplinary action against the three individuals has been ordered by General Officer Commanding of counter-insurgency Kilo Force, which will commence with immediate effect. Any additional charges that may be brought out by police investigations will be dealt with as per the law,” the spokesman said.
Asked to delineate the lapses, the spokesman declined to explain. Asked what action shall be initiated against the soldiers, he said, “Law will take its own course. Beyond that we have nothing to say.”
Muhammad Amin Tantray and Javid Ahmed Dar were killed when troops of 22 Rashtriya Rifles opened fire on devotees at Bomai village. The incident triggered massive protests across the valley, with chief minister ordering a magisterial inquiry into the incident, putting a 15-day deadline. The government inquiry, conducted by the deputy commissioner Varmul, Baseer Ahmad Khan, had indicted Army for killing two innocent civilians.
The inquiry report, which has been sent to the defense minister, rubbished the Army’s claim that the two civilians were killed in “crossfire” and mentioned that the soldiers did not follow the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) during the incident. It reportedly said the Army opened fired at the civilians and the bullet wounds were found above the chest level which indicated that Army opened fire with intention to kill the civilians.
Meanwhile, police sources told Greater Kashmir that they have almost completed investigations in the case and are waiting for the nominal roll from Army to produce a charge-sheet in the court.
“We are likely to charge them for murder, as investigations have revealed it and the only hurdle in our investigations is that Army has not submitted names of the soldiers involved in the incident,” said a police officer wishing anonymity.
Police has also recorded the statement of an Army informer under section 164 CrPC in connection with the case.
When contacted, Army spokesman Lt. Col. Rana said that they would extend full cooperation to police investigations in the case. “We have always cooperated in investigations,” he said.
An FIR 73/09 under section 302 RPC, already stands registered against troopers of 22 RR in Sopur police station.

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Govt embarrassed over killings: Omar : Says Guilty Would Be Punished, Army To Be Made ‘Invisible’ : Srinagar, Mar 20: The chief minister, Omar Abdullah, today acknowledged that the government was put to an embarrassment by the recent killings of civilians by troops and said that steps would be taken after the parliamentary elections to strengthen Jammu and Kashmir Police and make the army ‘invisible’ in the state.
“Our government that took oath on January 5, had promised the people zero tolerance to human rights violations. But the recent incidents have embarrassed the government as these had belied our promise that such incidents won’t take place,” Omar said while addressing a press conference here this evening.
However, he said the government didn’t indulge in sloganeering when two persons were killed in Bomai. Instead, it was quick to order a magisterial probe. “The government ordered magisterial probe, police registered an FIR and the army ordered Court of Inquiry,” he said, adding that in a short period of time the probe was completed.
Omar said the army had accepted the “lapses in command, judgment and misuse of service weapons that led to murder in Bomai.”
Asked about the army claims of cross firing, he said, “When they say it was a murder it means there was no cross firing.” He said the army had agreed to club the government’s inquiry report with the findings of its Court of Inquiry.
He said the Court of Inquiry in Bomai incident had indicted three soldiers, including a JCO, and in Pakherpora incident, where CRPF shot dead a carpenter, 4 paramilitary personnel had been suspended.
“Justice shouldn’t be only done but it should be seen to be done. Human rights violations would not be accepted and severe action would be taken against armed forces personnel involved in the killings,” Omar promised.
Dispelling the impression that his government was in confrontation with the army, Omar said in the entire course of action after the Bomai incident there was full coordination between the army and the civil administration. However, he said, in both Bomai and Khaigam incidents, the army and the paramilitary forces didn’t follow the Standard Operational Procedure and this led to the murders.
The chief minister said he had talked to the GOC 15 corps about relocation of Bomai camp as demanded by the people. He said the camp would be located after government would find alternate site within six or seven days.
Usually, he said, the army and paramilitary forces followed the SOP and rules. “But, some elements perceive themselves above the law and violate the SOP,” he said. The chief minister, however, insisted that army was not interested in covering up incidents of human rights violation.
“The human rights violations undermine the image of army and it is not interested in covering up the incidents like Bomai,” he said. He said they ordered the Court of Inquiry and within days came up with the report.
Omar said after the parliament elections the government would continue “the process to minimize the close contact of the armed forces with people.” He said the army would be shifted from hospitals, agriculture lands, schools and other public places.
His government, Omar said, didn’t politicize the incidents but straightaway ordered time-bound probes and fixed the responsibility to discourage their recurrence. “There were no photo-ops to distribute cheques among the next-of-kin of the victims but time-bound, transparent probes,” Omar said.
About the revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act that gives sweeping powers to the armed forces, Omar, in an apparent reference to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, said out of power some people had woken up to the demand of its revocation. He said in contrast to them he has sought its revocation on the floor of Assembly. He favoured the withdrawal of AFSPA, saying the situation was returning to normal. He said there was a window of opportunity that was opening up for the state after the parliament elections. He hoped that the Act would be revoked in NC-Congress coalition government.

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Talks fail - ‘Mass Migration From Today’ : Bomai, (Sopur), Mar 20: The Coordination Committee, spearheading the agitation to shift the army’s Rajinder Post here and seeking justice for the families of two youth who were shot dead by the troopers of 21 Rashtriya Riffles on February 21, today said that talks with the district administration had failed and they would begin mass migration from Saturday.
The chairman of the Committee, Hakim-ur-Rehman told Greater Kashmir, “We had sought written assurance from the deputy commissioner to shift the camp. However, he refused to give it in writing. We’ve decided to start mass migration from the village from tomorrow onwards.”
The DC Varmul, Lateef-us-Zaman Deva said, “We have tried our best to put our viewpoint before them. We had requested them not to go ahead with mass migration.”
The CC had suspended the agitation earlier this month after DC had assured them that the camp would be shifted within 12 days. “Administration has failed to keep up its promise. We’ve been left with no option other than to migrate,” locals said.
They said that when a magisterial inquiry ordered by the chief minister had admitted the troopers without any provocation killed the youth, there was no justification to keep the camp in the village.
Meanwhile amidst shutdown, anti-Army and ant-India protests rocked Bomai and adjoining villages and schools witnessed boycott, for second consecutive day today.
The locked educational institutions, wore a deserted look with students boycotting the classes. They are demanding eviction out of troopers present in between Girls High Schools and Government Higher Secondary, from the past 15 years. After Friday prayers hundreds of people took to the streets demanding action against the troopers involved in killings.

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4 CRPF troopers identified in parade - 'Remove Camps In 1 week':
KHAIGAM KILLING
Srinagar/ Pakherpora (Khaigam), Mar 20: Eyewitnesses today identified four Central Reserve Police Force personnel involved in the killing of a carpenter at Khaigam (Pakharpora) during an identification parade held at the District Police Lines, Pulwama. They were among the seven troopers, including the assistant commandant, handed over to the police yesterday, sources told Greater Kashmir.
A group of relatives and neighbourers of the slain carpenter, 35-year old Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Malik, were summoned by the police this morning to record their statements and identify the CRPF troopers who had barged into the rented house of the deceased on the fateful day.
A group of five persons, including the prime witness, Nazir Ahmad Margay, chowkidar; Tawheeda and Masrat daughters of Abdul Gaffar Wagay; and niece of the slain carpenter; Bilal Ahmad Malik son of Abdullah Mailk and Bashir Ahmad Malik son of Abdul Ahad Malik, were summoned to identify the accused troopers of 181 battalion of CRPF.
Another group of seven persons, including Ghulam Rasool Wagay, 60, Ghulam Hassan Wagay son of Ghulam Ahmad Wagay, Ghulam Muhammad Mir son of Abdus Sattar Mir, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir son of Abdul Ahad Mir, Muhammad Yousuf Malik son of Ghulam Muhammad Malik and Muhammad Ahsan Dar son of Sabir Dar and maternal uncle of the deceased were summoned by the Rajpora police station to record their statements. It is for the first time that police detained the central paramilitary troopers accused of killing a civilian. Those detained were the assistant commandant, Chatturvedi of New Delhi, and six troopers, including Manzoor Ahmad Bhat of Handwara, Samiullah Pandit of Pulwama, and Abilok Singh of Ludhiana.
“Police produced before us four CRPF troopers one by one and asked us to identify who of them were present outside the house of Mailk on the fateful evening. Four among us were taken one by one for identifying the troopers and we recognized them,” one of the five witnesses wishing not to be named told Greater Kashmir over phone.
However, the prime witness, Nazir Ahmad, whom the CRPF troopers had taken along to Malik’s house, said he was not asked to identify the accused troops. “The superintendent of police asked me what had happened that evening when Malik was killed by the CRPF troopers. And, I narrated the whole story,” he said, adding the other four persons had identified the accused troopers.”
Another witness, whishing anonymity, said, “One of the troopers was Manzoor and he was with the party on the fateful evening.” When the DSP asked him to identify the trooper; he said he had told him that he was Manzoor. “On this the DSP responded that his name is Muhammad Afzal. But I told him that he is known in the area by the name of Manzoor.” The witness said Manzoor had trimmed his beard.
Later, he said, they saw another group of four CRPF troopers inside there and they were the same personnel who had barged into Malik’s house. “We all recognized them though we were not asked to identify them,” Nazir said, adding, he had trimmed his beard.
Bashir Malik, who had deposed in Rajpora police station said sub-inspector, Ghulam Nabi, recorded their statements. “I told the SI that on Wednesday evening CRPF laid a gherao around Malik’s house and 15 minutes later we heard bullet shots from inside and after seven minutes I saw CRPF personnel fleeing,” Malik said.
ULTIMATUM FOR CRPF, RR CAMPS’ REMOVAL
For the second consecutive day today, massive protests rocked Khaigam and adjoining areas against Malik’s killing giving a week’s ultimatum to remove the CRPF and Rashtriya Rifles camps from the area.
Reports said thousands of people from Pakherpora, Khaigam, Shankerpora, Mohanpora and Kamrazpora took a protest rally demanding removal of RR camp of 53 battalion at Malnar on Pakherpora-Yousmarg road and CRPF camp in Khaigam. A complete shutdown was observed in the area.
Soon after Friday prayers in Jamia Masjid, Pakherpora, the people took out a procession to Khaigam and, shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, vowed to continue the protests till the government agreed to their demand for punishment of the the accused troopers.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, the deputy inspector general of police, south Kashmir range, Rajesh Kumar, said investigations were on. “The accused CRPF troopers are in custody and we are probing the matter,” he said refusing to divulge details.
The senior superintendent of police, Rafiq-ul-Hassan, also said the investigation was going on vigorously.
Quoting the additional director-general of CRPF, Karamvir Singh, a New Delhi report said the troopers had not followed the Special Operation Procedure during a search operation in which 35-year old carpenter, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Malik, was killed.
“The CRPF is co-operating with the police and the accused jawans have been handed over to them,” the reported quoted the ADG as saying.
However, the Srinagar-based CRPF spokesman, Prabhakar Tripathi, said they had not handed over any CRPF trooper to the police. “We will cooperate with them to any extent in the investigation but we can’t hand over the CRPF personnel to police till there are orders from government of India,” he said, adding they have started a court of inquiry into the killing.
VILLAGERS SNAP POWER SUPPLY TO CRPF CAMP
The Pakherpora CRPF camp in Pulwama, whose troopers killed a carpenter at Khaigam Wednesday, is still without power after angry villagers cut the main supply line to the camp last evening.
Reflective of the level of anger among the people against the killing, the locals took the step-first of its kind in the valley- demanding punishment to the guilty troopers and removal of the camp from the area.
A CRPF spokesman said the supply had not been restored yet and the troopers are using back-up generator.

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Cure to polythene menace arrives - ‘Bio-Plastics’ From October : Srinagar, Mar 20: Consumers in the Valley would be soon using biodegradable plastic bags as an alternative to polythene that has wrecked havoc on the fragile environment.
The government owned JK Agro Industries will collaborate with an Italian company Earth Soul and manufacture ‘bio-plastics’ made of corn, wheat, and potato starch. Since these eco-friendly bags are completely biodegradable the environmentalists say the polythene menace would be checked to a great extent when people start using them.
The government woke up to the polythene menace when, faced with choked water bodies, the High Court had directed the government to ban polythene in tourist places. But in the absence of an alternative to the polythene bags, the ban couldn’t be implemented.
Managing Director of the Agro Industries, Dr GN Qasba, said the plan to use bio-plastics took shape after research and a series of brainstorming meetings with experts including CEO and founder of Earth Soul, Perces Bilmore.
“I was concerned over deterioration of environment due to polythene. I conducted extensive research and saw carry bags resembling polythene but made of potato and corn starch. I got in touch with its manufacturers, and after learning about the process submitted the proposal to board of directors meeting,” Dr Qasba said, adding, the production will start from October this year. In the first year, the government will import potato and corn starch from Switzerland. Simultaneously the Agro Industries will cultivate the required varieties of corn and potato in the Valley.
Dr Qasba said the bio-plastic products decompose in a few months and increase fertility of soil. Government has cleared the project and identified land at Baribrahmna Industrial Estate Jammu for setting up the unit in collaboration of Earthsoul India, the only manufacturers of bio-degradable products in India.

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