SRINAGAR: Naeem Akhter, a senior PDP minister said that the decision not to involve CBI in investigating the brutal rape and murder of little Rasana girl was done because the family of the victim was against it. He said the central investigating agency has a very bad track record in Jammu and Kashmir.
Accused in a case cannot decide who will investigate him, Akhter told Kashmir Life. “What is the last incident when rape accused chose the court and not the victim, by the way.”
Akhter said the Jammu and Kashmir Police are one of the finest and the most professional police forces in the region. They have delivered objectively and professionally, the tasks that were handed over to them. CBI, in contrast, is an investigating body that looks like a “caged parrot”.
“CBI botched up the sleaze racket in 2006 and all the accused went home and all those who were arrested were acquitted by the court,” Akhter said. “What they did it in the case of the two girls from Shopian Asiya and Nelofar in 2009. They did something in hurry and said nothing had happened.” The botched up investigations in the Shopian case were the main reason behind the 2010 uprising, he said.
The CBI is sitting on the cricket scandal for more than two years now, Akhter added.
Akhter said he is pained about the deliberate maligning of the state police, one of the most professional forces in the region. “When our policemen are killed fighting militants in Kashmir and when they kill militants, the same people call them patriots,” Akhter said. “But when our policemen investigate cases where the identity of the perpetrators does not suit them, and they want to protect the accused, our police become unreliable.”
Hindu Ekta Manch, the rightwing grouping that was supporting the demand for CBI was against the police from day one. Even the two ministers also supported the idea. After they submitted their resignation, both Lal Singh and CP Ganga have reiterated their stand that the case must go to the CBI.
“Earlier, three investigations failed to move in right direction and then inquiry by Crime Branch was ordered,” Singh told Excelsior on Saturday. “And that too, involving police officers from Kashmir including one of them having shady credentials. Is Kashmir police so competent and those in Jammu region are incompetent? What they want to prove?”
Singh further said: “It is unfortunate that few days earlier Hurriyat leader Geelani issued a statement opposing CBI probe into Kathua case and our Chief Minister hardly after four days also says no to it when the matter was discussed with her. Who is Geelani ? What he has to do with Rassana or Hiranagar? Has he ever visited Rassana and know where it is? He should mind his own business. The people of this area are capable to fight for their cause.”
