By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Srinagar: Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, on Thursday demanded Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure an independent criminal investigation into the killing of a 23-year-old student allegedly by army personnel on April 13in South Kashmir’s Tral.
Khalid Muzaffar Wani was killed allegedly by Indian army personnel in the Kamla forests in Pulwama district and the army had in a press statement claimed that Wani was an ‘over ground worker’ for Hizb-ul Mujahideen, a banned armed group, and was killed in a gun battle with army personnel.
“The Director-General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, told Amnesty International, India that Khalid Muzaffar Wani’s brother is a senior member of the Hizbul Mujahideen and said that the police was investigating whether Khalid Muzaffar Wani also had any links to the armed groups,” said the statement from Amnesty.
While quoting Khalid’s father Mohammed Muzaffar Wani, the human rights group called the death of his son as due to a “fake encounter” or a “staged extra-judicial execution.”
“The Jammu and Kashmir government must ensure a swift, thorough and impartial investigation to determine if Wani was killed in an extra-judicial execution. They must also look into the family’s claims that he was targeted because of his brother’s suspected links with a banned armed group,” said Shemeer Babu, programme director at Amnesty International, India adding, “If sufficient evidence is found, those suspected must be prosecuted in a civilian court. Army authorities must co-operate with the investigation and not try to shield soldiers from prosecution.”
While taking a dig at the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the statement said that the said Act provides security force personnel with sweeping powers and virtual immunity from prosecution by requiring prior permission from the central government before they can be prosecuted. “This permission is almost never given. The law has facilitated grave human rights violations, including extra judicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture and other ill- treatment,” it added.