Habibullah breaks silence: Govt deleted key portions of my report on J&K mass rape case
Wajahat Habibullah, chairman of the National Commission for
Minorities, has said that the government "deleted important portions of
his confidential report" on the Kunan poshpora mass rape case in which he
had recommended a police probe, upgradation in the level of
investigation, entrusting the case to a gazetted police officer and
seeking an order from the 15 Corps Commander to ensure Army cooperation
in the probe, reprts Muzamil Jaleel on Indian Express.
Habibullah was Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir when troops of 4 Raj Rifles allegedly raped 23 women in the village during a
cordon-and-search operation on the night of February 23-24, 1991. The
government used his report to give a clean chit to the Army.
More than two decades later, the mass rape case reared its head
again last month after a Judicial Magistrate in Kupwara refused to
entertain a police case closure report and ordered "further
investigation by an officer not below the rank of a Senior
Superintendent of Police" and its completion within three months.
"The Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara had received reports from the
villagers of Konan that a mass rape had been committed in the village on
the night of 23/24 February during cordon-and-search operations
conducted by elements of the 4 Raj Rifles. He (Deputy Commissioner) had
visited the spot on 5th March and according to his preliminary
investigations, it appeared to him prima facie that an offence of
monstrous proportions had been committed,'' Habibullah's confidential
report stated.
"Consequently, on being approached by the DG, Police, J&K,
the Corps Commander deputed Brigadier H K Sharma, Commander 19 Arty Brigade, to visit the village and report. The Brigadier made some local
enquiries on 10/3 and came to the conclusion that the report (of mass
rape) was baseless. His report does not, however, discuss in detail why
he has altogether dismissed the statements made before him by a number
of village women," the report stated.
