JAMMU-KASHMIR POLICE A SAGA OF SACRIFICE and courage TO GO TO JAIL..

Jammu-Kashmir Police ke hum, Janbaaz sipahi hum... (Jammu and Kashmir Police “A Saga of Sacrifice and courage)

This is the song and motto of Jammu and Kashmir Police, braving militancy for last two decades. Nowadays as the militancy is showing a decline, the police have found a new job -- trapping its own men for no fault of theirs.. after Shopian one feels that the motto of Jammu and Kashmir Police “A Saga of Sacrifice and courage” needs to be changed to A Saga of Sacrifice and courage TO GO TO JAIL..

Shopian case – alleged rape and murder of two women – reminds me of a bed time story where an innocent is hanged because his neck fit the noose…though my granny narrated this story in a hilarious way but I realised the ugly face recently when I found four policemen behind bars – thanks to a High Court order, unheard in the legal history of this country.

Superintendent of Police Javed Iqbal Mattoo and his Deputy Rohit Baskotra might have questioned their wisdom of serving in Kashmir when Kashmiri officers were either running away from fighting militancy or having a prize posting using political clout. An analysis of posting and transfers of police officials has seen that so called promote IPS officials from Kashmir division have either chosen to remain confined to police headquarters or administrative division or posting in Delhi while the war against terrorism in the valley.

Ironically, poor Baskotra was away in Anantnag for five days when the alleged rape and murder case had taken place and Mattoo was trying to get a proper post-mortem report so that a decision could be taken as to how the investigations should proceed. What could Mattoo or the SHO do when the doctor decided to chicken out and did not give a proper autopsy report?

I guess ever since the bodies of two ladies were recovered on May 30, the entire administration has been trying to find a scapegoat in police – ignoring the heavy presence of Jamaat-e-Islamia cadres in Shopian area. The police did not even get time to find the culprits as people poured down in dozens and dozens. Eh! What was this…pro-Pakistan slogans, pro-independence slogans, demand for withdrawal of security forces in the area…did anyone realize that the protests were for women, who were allegedly raped and murdered. Time and again Kashmir has been a witness to such mockeries, where vested interests have used such occasions to raise anti-national bogey.

And now comes judiciary – the order issued recently by a division bench surprised many legal luminaries – I believe some of them must be scratching their heads after two judges ordered the investigating officers – newly appointed Inspector General (Kashmir) Farooq Ahmed and his two “ace” investigators to arrest these four police officials.

Can a Judge Order investigating official to arrest anyone? Well, I guess no and was quickly reminded of the infamous sex scandal of Kashmir when a division bench directed a Deputy Inspector General of CBI Pankaj Singh to carryout arrests of all the accused as per the list circulated in the media. To his credit, Singh refused to carry out the order and stated in an open court that the power of arrests remained with the investigating officer, which is done after gathering all proofs and evidence.

The sex scandal case was taken out from the limits of Jammu and Kashmir jurisdiction and trials were conducted In Chandigarh as it had become next to impossible for even getting a bail for the accused.

In this case, the High Court took away the right of all subordinate courts and said any bail moved for the police officials should be referred to the division bench even when Supreme Court has been categorised that bail is a right of every individual. But I guess the interpretation of law changes when it comes to Kashmir valley, where views of separatists have to be taken into consideration. Then wonder who is calling the shots..

Eh! Not to forget, the famous Narco-Analysis test ordered by the High Court. This part of the order needs to be understood: “We direct the Special Investigating Team to produce those four officers on arrest before the Registrar Judicial on a date and time to be fixed in consultation with Registrar Judicial, High Court of J&K Srinagar for the purpose of drawing their blood sample, on being drawn, shall be sealed by.....The DNA of those police official shall, thereupon, be matched with the DNA profile of the vaginal semen of the deceased ladies....."

"We also feel that it would be appropriate on the part of the Special Investigating Team to undertake Narco-Analysis Test of those four police officers..."

This part of the order was enough to make jump the top echelons of the state police force to go in for appeal as one cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that the poor Dy SP was not aware of the case because of his pre-occupation in recruitment in Anantnag and SP, who was awaiting report from the SHO.

Ironically, while its an order for four police officials, it has been left to the wisdom (which according to me is questionable) of SIT to decide whether it wishes to carry out the Narco-test on the two witnesses, against whom questions have been raised from the day one.

The order reads: “In the event the Special Investigating Team is of the view that those two witnesses....also need to be put to such test, it shall inform the same to the central government...”

So what is the deal…Should the police force learn a lesson and join ranks with separatists and enjoy a better life style. Well readers, I am writing this blog, knowing fully well, that separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani are enjoying cool breeze in guest house at Cheshma Shahi, dare-devil officials like Mattoo and Baskotra are sleeping on hard beds of jail.

For your tomorrow, we gave our today… but one wonders what our tomorrow is!!!!

Notice

Dear Blog readers,

There have been certain queries that while the name of my blog suggests that it has to do everything about Kashmir, then why I am venturing into other areas. Some of you have even suggested changing the name of the Blog.

Well, changing the name is not possible. I must admit that the blog was intended to revolve around Kashmir and the problem but certain issues come up and are close to my heart. Hence, I don't mind taking up the same and put across to my readers.

Regards,

A Kashmir watcher

Lt Saurabh Kalia: The story behind his heroic death

''When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today"

All of sudden, in this materialistic world, I forgot a part of my life. Let me take out a leaf out of history and pay tribute to Lt Saurabh Kalia (made Captain posthumously). It was a Wednesday and I was busy making last minute arrangements at my Srinagar office to return to Kargil on the next day (June 10, 1999). Suddenly my office phone rang and it was one of my darling friends from Army calling. His voice was not the same and still reverberates in my ears. A usually smart officer is asking me to call him from some PCO and refused to answer any of my inquisitive journalistic questions.

Little did I know that, I was writing a portion of history of the infamous Kargil war while I left in a hush manner from the office along with one of my senior colleague. Half-a-kilometre away, we managed to find a PCO from where I attempted to call my Army friend. And guess what, the phone was engaged thus not only increasing my blood pressure but also heart beat. Tring tring….the phone is ringing and I just held the hand of my senior colleague as he was making all signals to calm me down.

“Write fast. Lt Kalia’s body handed over in Kaksar sub-sector along with five soldiers of 4-Jat. Mutilated severely. Their eyeballs have been gouged out and noses, genitals chopped off. Cigarette marks on their bodies. Tempers are high…” and he hung up. Tried calling him up again but he did not pick up this time.

What happened…? Was the question from my colleague. Though he was questioning me about the news but I guess he was waking me from a shock I had received after hearing the caller on other side.

After recovering from the shock, I felt so sad about being a journalist. “What are we? Someone has died because of a merciless torture by Pakistani Army and now we are supposed to write a story? What will happen to his family? What if he was just married?”

The dilemma of a journalist and a common man was topping the agenda of my brain for sometime till the senior colleague of mine gave me a “Gita updesh” and asked me to do my “karma”. And no sooner, I was at the telex machine broadcasting the news to the nation and possibly to the world about the supreme sacrifice made by Lt Kalia and his team. Camouflaging the dateline with that of Kargil, I made an attempt to save my source in the Army.

The News was there everywhere. Few Television channels and all international wire agencies were broadcasting and typing in the news. Some of my seniors were calling from Delhi complimenting me for breaking the news and I was wondering whether I should be happy or sad. What are you journalists made of? And suddenly there was a fight between me and my conscience. Though the battle still continues within me but on that day, I was left flabbergasted over the attitude of Army officials sitting in the Directorate of Military Intelligence which send its Brigadier to one of my seniors denying the news. However, he was reluctant to give the same in writing. Here I should thank my boss, who stood by me and showed the door to the Brigadier. And by evening, those denying ended up with an egg on their faces when International Committee of Red Cross and Indian Red Cross confirmed my story.

A contended journalist in me had a smile but a human being in me was still crying for the loss of a young life. That was the restless night for me as I was trying to imagine what could have been going in the mind of Kalia. Was 22 an age for him to die in such a gruesome manner? What would be going on his family? What would have happened to his family members. After talking to martyr Kalia’s father, I bowed by head in respect towards the entire family but what bothers me still is that why did Army attempted to deny the story at the first instance? And why did the Army authorities and those in the Government find it fit to decorate Lt Kalia and his men who woke up a sleepy nation and a sleeping Army.