Srinagar
On the 19th anniversary of the Sailan massacre, Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) has termed the killings as “an illustration of the brutality of crimes.”
In the brutal massacre 19 people including 11 children of three families were killed allegedly by four Special Police Officers (SPOs) and personnel of 9 Paratroopers of Army on August 3 At Sailan village, Surankote, Poonch District.
JKCCS in a statement said: “On the night of 3/4 August 1998, 19 civilians (13 female/6 male including 11 children) were shot to death at point blank range in their homes in Sailan village by 4 Special Police Officers (SPOs) and personnel of the 9 Para commando battalion (under the control of Major Gaurav Rishi), an elite commando unit of the Indian Army. Jammu and Kashmir police officers, including then Superintendent of Police (Poonch), J.P Singh, are also implicated in the crime and cover up.”
Terming the incident as not only a ‘massacre’ but an “illustration of the brutality of crimes committed in Jammu and Kashmir by the armed forces.”
“It is an apt example of the manner in which the system seeks to exhaust, disappoint families of victims, and in the end attempt to ensure impunity for the armed forces,” the statement said.
The families had to approach the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for investigations in this case and finally in 2012 the High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out proper investigations.
Three years later, on 25 August 2015, the CBI concluded that the case should be closed, exonerated the named accused and stated that the families of the victim were untruthful.
“The struggle for the families then began before the CBI court in Jammu where they filed a protest petition for further investigations,” The statement added. “The family members had to travel to Jammu from Sailan, Poonch and their legal representatives from Srinagar. Over close to eighteen court dates, until 2 May 2017, the court was seized of the case, heard detailed arguments and then reserved the case for final orders. But, due to the transfers of judges, a new judge has now been assigned to the case and the case is to be re-heard all over again.”
Alleging that the case continues to move in favor of the accused, JKCCS said that, “Sailan massacre is one of numerous massacres committed in Jammu and Kashmir and one of the high profile cases from the Jammu division.”
But, despite intervention from the High Court and investigations being handed over to the CBI, the case continues to move in favor of the accused.
