NHRC takes note of Army kids' plaint on stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir

Protesters throw stones on security forces against the alleged killing of two youth in Army firing in Shopian. File pic

The NHRC has taken cognisance of a complaint filed by three children of Army officers alleging violation of human rights of the force's personnel in recent incidents of stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement yesterday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said the complainants have also sought its "intervention for an appropriate enquiry into the incident of stone-pelting and assault by an unruly and disruptive mob on Army personnel in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on January 27". The children have said they were "disturbed" by the recent incidents of stone-pelting and assaults on security forces, according to the statement.

NHRC seeks report
The commission has observed that in view of the facts narrated and allegations levelled in the complaint, "it will be appropriate to call for a factual report from the Ministry of Defence, through its secretary, to know the present status of the situation and steps taken by the Union government on the points raised by the complainants regarding alleged humiliation and violation of the human rights of the Army personnel in the state of Jammu and Kashmir".

A communication has been sent to the defence secretary, seeking a report in four weeks, it said. The complaint has sought to draw the attention of the commission to the "innumerable and frequent instances of violation of human rights of the Army personnel, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir", the statement said.

'Attack on convoy unprovoked'
The complaint said that though the "attack on an Army convoy in Shopian district was completely unprovoked and unwarranted, still an FIR was registered against Army personnel". "They (children) quoted, date-wise, a series of incidents wherein, allegedly, the Army faced hostilities from the very people it was deployed to protect. Not only that, even FIRs were registered against the Army," the statement said. The complaint also alleged the administration had "failed to safeguard the human rights of members of the armed forces".

SC to hear Major's father's plea
The Supreme Court yesterday agreed to hear on Monday the plea of an Army officer's father that the FIR against his son, booked as an accused by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the recent Shopian firing incident, be quashed. The lawyer said the FIR has illegally been lodged against Major Aditya Kumar in connection with the firing incident in Shopian.

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