The J&K government has ordered a judicial probe into the recent killing of two boys by CRPF in Sopore,the fifth inquiry into civilian killings in north Kashmir in the past 20 months. The inquiry officer,Syed Bashir-ud-din,who is chairman of State Human Rights Commission,has been asked to submit his report within a month. Sooner or later,he will. But will any action be taken on the report or will it even be made public? The state has never made public any inquiry report into killings by security forces,a fact acknowledged even by officials who were part of the inquiries. Seldom are our recommendations implemented by the government. At times,we face threats from the forces against whom inquiry is being conducted, said a senior officer who was part of two inquires. On October 27,2008 CRPF allegedly killed a 21-year-old man during protests in Baramullas old town. To calm tempers,then Deputy Commissioner Bashir Ahmad Khan ordered a magisterial probe. Eight months later another magisterial inquiry was ordered when police and CRPF men opened fire on a group of protesters at Cement Bridge in the town,killing four boys. Sources said the inquiry officer found some police and CRPF officials guilty in both cases and recommended action against them. More than a year on,the reports are gathering dust. On Oct 26,2009,Sajad Ahmad Lone,26,of Ganapore village was killed when he was allegedly trying to enter an Army camp. Deputy Commissioner Kupwara ordered a magisterial inquiry. The inquiry report was never made public. Most of these inquiries are an eye-wash,said Independent legislator Engineer Rashid. This is a government tactic to control the situation and in most cases,inquiries never get completed, he claimed. Government has ordered dozens of inquiries in the past,but never was the report of any inquiry made public. For transparency,every inquiry report should be made public. CM Omar Abdullahs Advisor Mubarak Gul,however,denied the inquires were an eye-wash. Government always takes serious note of any recommendations made by the inquiry officers, he said. Besides the inquiry into Sopore killings,Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Naseema Lanker is probing the Macchil fake encounter case in which three young men where lured to LoC at the behest of the Army and killed in a staged encounter. Inquiries are also on in the killings of Tufail Ahmad Mattoo,Javid Ahmad Malla and Rafiq Ahmad Bangroo in Srinagar in the past two weeks.
