Justme
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- Dec 11, 2023
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Anger in Kashmir after Indian army accused of killing civilians in custody
The families of victims say their bodies bore torture signs as anger grows against the killings in Indian-administered Kashmir.The deaths of three Kashmir civilians after they were picked up by the Indian army in the wake of a deadly rebel attack in the disputed Himalayan region have caused anger among people and led to calls for an investigation into alleged custodial killings.
According to the families, the three men – Mohammad Showkat, 22, Safeer Hussain, 45, and Shabir Ahmad, 32 – were detained by the army at the hilly Topa Pir village in Poonch district on Friday morning, a day after suspected rebels ambushed military vehicles and killed four Indian army soldiers near the village.
The families say they were shocked after the police called them on Friday to take back the bodies of their relatives.
“There were torture marks on his body. What kind of justice is this? He died of excessive torture,” Noor Ahmad, brother of Safer Hussain, told Al Jazeera.
Ahmad says the army took his brother Safeer away in front of his wife and parents.
“The government has announced jobs and compensation for us. But we want justice, those who killed these innocent people should be punished. My brother has four children.
“I cannot express in words how much grief we feel, no money in the world can fill that. The government will give us everything but our wounds will not heal,” he said by phone.
“I have served in the Indian army for 32 years, is this what we get in return,” Ahmad, who works with Border Security Forces (BSF) in the northern state of Rajasthan, said in a broken voice.
All three victims belong to a tribal community known as Gujjar, who traditionally lead a pastoral life in the mountain areas of Kashmir.
India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in its entirety but control only parts of it. They have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region, where anti-India sentiment runs high.
There’s been an uptick in rebel attacks in the southern districts of Poonch and Rajouri this year. At least 34 soldiers have been killed in suspected rebel attacks since 2021.
‘Tortured in custody’
The villagers said that eight civilians were detained for questioning by the army, while three are dead, five are admitted to a hospital in Rajouri where they are being treated for physical injuries.
“The government wants us to compromise but we will not compromise,” a teenage daughter of one of the injured civilians told Al Jazeera.
“They were given electric shocks and chilli powder was inserted in their private parts, no questions were asked to them” she claimed.
A video of army men sprinkling chilli powder on the private parts of civilians lying on the floor has surfaced on social media. They were identified by the villagers as the men who were detained by the army. Al Jazeera, however, could not independently confirm the veracity of the video.
Al Jazeera reached out to the concerned officials in Jammu, southern Kashmir’s main city, for comment but received no response until the time of publication.
Fearing the spread of anger, the authorities cut off internet services and imposed restrictions in the area.
But nearly 200km (120 miles) to the north, the mainstream Kashmiri political parties and their workers staged protests and demanded justice for the victims in the main city of Srinagar.
In 2020, the Indian army extrajudicially killed three civilians from Rajouri. They were portrayed as rebels but investigations revealed that the army was behind the killing.
Widespread impunity
Indian armed forces enjoy widespread impunity in Indian-administered Kashmir under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), a “counterterror” law.
Despite the registration of cases in multiple instances against the army, the accused soldiers have rarely been prosecuted.
The AFSPA gives protection to Indian soldiers against human rights violations and makes it mandatory for the state government to seek sanction for prosecution from the federal defence ministry, which data shows has not been granted in any previous cases.
International rights groups have accused the Indian army of human rights abuses in Kashmir and demanded the repeal of AFSPA, but the government justifies it as necessary for fighting armed rebellion.
India army accused of ‘torture and custodial killing’ of Kashmir civilians
The families of victims say their bodies bore torture signs as anger grows against killings in Kashmir.
