KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Jammu Kashmir High Court has admitted a petition against lawmaker and former government gunman Usman Majid for his alleged involvement in the killing of a Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) activist over two decades ago in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
As per Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS): “23 years ago, on 6 June 1993, MLA Bandipora Usman Majeed, then a member of the counter-insurgency force, Ikhwan, along with other Ikhwanis, shot dead Abdul Khaliq Wani, resident of Madwan Hajin, Bandipora for his association with the Jama’at-e-Islami. This killing was witnessed by the family members of the victim. The police filed a FIR against unidentified gunmen while on 3 June 2016, Justice S Ramalingam, of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court admitted a petition on this case and issued a notice for response to the parties including MLA Usman Majeed, and directed for a status report by the police to be filed on the next date of hearing in the week of 11 July 2016.”
“The family of the victim, despite the existing fear, has approached the High Court to direct the police to carry out proper and fair investigations into the killing by constituting a Special Investigation Team. Family members who are eyewitnesses to the murder are willing to have their statements recorded against MLA Usman Majeed and the other accused Ikhwanis,” JKCCS statement claimed.
“The legal team of JKCCS led by Advocate Parvez Imroz has filed this petition on behalf of the family of the victim.
The admission of the High Court petition is an important first step towards holding ex-Ikhwan member Usman Majeed accountable for his criminal actions including in the killing of Abdul Khaliq Wani,” the statement added
Spokesperson JKCCS in a statement to CNS said, “it is an important message to perpetrators of crime that their acts will neither be forgotten nor forgiven.” “We appeal civil society of Bandipora, other witnesses in this case, and other family members of victims of crimes perpetrated by Usman Majeed, to come forward and speak out against the Ikhwan as a phenomenon and the role of Usman Majeed in this and other cases.”
