Civil rights group Peoples’ Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) has criticised the abduction and killing of a constable and two Special Police Officers in Jammu and Kashmir and appealed to the militants to “adhere to humanitarian norms” and demanded that “the state forces desist from perpetrating actions which violate the fundamental rights of citizens.”
In a statement, PUDR secretaries Shahana Bhattacharya and Sharmila Purkayastha said “a militaristic approach cannot be used to deal with the situation in Kashmir and we call for a political solution and democratic resolution of the conflict.”
The organisation said the three police personnel – Nisar Ahmad Dhobi (aged 38), Firdous Ahmad Kuchey (28) and Kulwant Singh (35) – were picked up from their homes in Batgund and Kapren villages in the Shopian district of Kashmir on September 21 morning by a group of militants. Half an hour later, they said, their bodies were found in an orchard in the neighbouring village of Lamni Wangam, ridden with bullets.
Pointing out that unlike army personnel who reside in military camps, police and SPOs live and work locally which makes them vulnerable to attacks, the PUDR said in this case all the deceased were abducted when they were not on duty. Following the incident, they said massive combing operations were launched in the area, including search and cordon operations. However, in view of the atmosphere of insecurity, they subsequently made public their decision to resign from the police force.
The incident, the PUDR said, has come in the wake of heightened clashes over the past few months between the police and militant groups in south Kashmir, and Shopian district in particular.
Retaliatory pattern of abduction of family members
It further said, “between June 2018 and now there have been several incidents of abduction of family members by the police and by the militants. From late August, the retaliatory pattern became even more evident, especially after the police picked up Asadullah Naikoo, father of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo. The militants abducted 11 relatives of policemen and released them only after the police released Asadullah.”
In late August too, PUDR said the area had witnessed specific targeting of militant houses in Ashmipora and Nazneenpora by the army. “On 17 September, the Hizbul Mujahideen threatened all police personnel and their families to ‘resign or die.’ However, the incident of September 21 is the first in which policemen have been abducted from their homes and then killed,” it said.
‘Kashmir qualified for application of principles of humanitarian law’
The PUDR also said it has long held that the situation in Kashmir qualifies for the application of the principles of humanitarian law. It noted that Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions lays down norms for conduct of war by parties (both state and non-state) and specifically prohibits acts of murder, mutilation, torture, cruel, humiliating and degrading treatment, the taking of hostages and unfair trial in all cases of conflicts including those taking place within the boundaries of a sovereign state.
The convention, it said, also describes the rights and protections accorded to non-combatants and prohibits their targeting in conflict situations by both security forces and militants.
