A day after the Army launched a probe into allegations of “ill-treatment” of civilians during searches for a group of militants by troops in J&K’s Kishtwar district, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday called for a transparent probe by the Army.
“I hope that the Army will conduct investigations in a transparent manner and will not show any laxity,” he said on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar.
The Chief Minister said this is not the first incident where people have been beaten up. “Thank God these people did not lose their lives as we have seen incidents where people were called by police to their camps and have lost their lives,” he said.
On Thursday, the Army’s White Knight Corps said in a post on X: “Based on specific intelligence of the move of a group of terrorists in Kishtwar sector, an operation was launched by Rashtriya Rifles on November 20. There are some reports on the alleged ill-treatment of civilians during the conduct of the operation. An investigation is being launched to ascertain the facts. Necessary follow-up action will be ensured.”
When contacted, Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Javed Iqbal said police were verifying the allegations.
The Army probe followed allegations that four men from Kuath village were tortured in custody. As per sources, the men received a phone call on Wednesday morning, asking them to report to an Army camp in Kishtwar.
The call was made against the backdrop of the killing of a Junior Commissioned Officer of the Army and injuries to three soldiers in Chask area on November 10. Days earlier, on November 7, two village defence guards were abducted and killed by militants in the Keshwan forests of Kishtwar.
