Mehbooba claims centre is keeping innocent youth in jails
By: Muzamil Bhat CK
Srinagar
PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has alleged that the central government has let off the hook a police officer who was caught with militants while the innocent youth are languishing in different jails.
She said that a new norm has been set for the youth of Kashmir that they are being “considered guilty until proven innocent” and it has ruined many lives and families.
According to PTI news agency in its report on the remarks of Mehbooba it has said, Mehbooba”s remarks came after a copy of a government order dated May 20 dismissing Singh, a deputy superintendent of police, from service went viral on social media.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had ordered Singh’s dismissal from service with “immediate effect” under Article 311 of the Constitution, according to the official order. This provision enables the government to withdraw presidential pleasure without holding an inquiry and the decision can only be contested in the high court.
“Innocent Kashmiris arrested under anti-terror laws rot in jails for years. For them the trial becomes the punishment. But GOI (Government of India) doesn”t want an inquiry against a cop caught red-handed with militants. Is it because he colluded with the system to orchestrate certain dodgy incidents?” Mehbooba asked in a tweet.
She said Kashmiris are “considered guilty until proven innocent”.
“Whether for government jobs or even a passport, they (Kashmiris) are subjected to the worst kind of scrutiny. But when a policeman is known to have facilitated militants he is let off the hook. The double standards & dirty games are obvious,” she added.
Singh was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in January last year when he was ferrying Hizbul Mujahideen militants to Jammu from Kashmir. The case was investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and it filed a charge sheet against Singh and others.
According to the NIA charge sheet, Singh was tasked by his Pakistani handler with establishing a “contact” in the Ministry of External Affairs for carrying out espionage activities.
Singh used his own vehicle for the movement of the Hizbul Mujahideen militants and also assured them help in procuring weapons, the NIA alleged.
With inputs from PTI
