Torture of detainees goes unabated in JK: Geelani

Srinagar: Stating that the torture of detainees go unabated in Jammu and Kashmir with 60 percent of them tormented in last two years alone, Chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani Saturday termed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s reaction to Wikileaks expose as ‘brazen lie’.

“Ever since Omar Abdullah took charge, 60 per cent detainees have been subjected to severe torture. Besides, documental evidence, in some case we have video record to prove it,” Geelani said in a statement.

The veteran leader said that that Omar Abdullah’s claims that no torture happened during his tenure was nothing but a “brazen lie.”

“During last two years, thousands of torture cases have came to fore and several persons have even died including Sameer Ahmad Rah of Batamaloo, Rafiq Ahmad Bangroo of Safa Kadal, Umar Qayoom of Soura, Tariq Ahmad Dar of Rafiabad and Inayat Khan of Dalgate. All these innocents were arrested and later beaten to death in summer 2010,” he said, asserting that the deaths were proven by the medical reports.

He also castigated the Chief Minister for “condoning” Machil encounter and the alleged Shopian double rape and murder of sisters—Asiya and Nelofer.

“Who is to be blamed for these cases which took place during his tenure? How can he deny that there was no torture case during his tenure,” he said.

Geelani maintained that there was hardly any detainee in past five month who wasn’t subjected to ‘severe torture’.

“The Hurriyat leaders were also kept in Cargo torture center and were subjected to both physical and mental torture,” he said, adding, “If needed, we can provide so many evidences and proofs that Omar Abdullah cannot deny.”

“The story about torture is not limited to last two years but it has been going on since past 21 years here in Jammu and Kashmir. During these years, many episodes of inhuman torture came to forefront,” he said.

Geelani also urged the International Human rights organisations to inquire about all the torture cases during the last two decades in Kashmir.

As per Wikileaks expose’, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided US diplomats in 2005 with evidence of the systematic use of torture by Indian forces in Kashmir. The ICRC, it said, had been “forced to conclude that the (Indian government) condones torture”.

Reacting to the leaks, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he was not going into the transcripts since they pertain to 2005.

“I am not getting into it as these transcripts belong to 2005 and you do your own math to know which government was in power that time,” Abdullah said in a direct reference to then coalition government led by PDP.

“As far as my government is concerned, we don’t condone torture. We never have and we never will,” Omar had said.