Govt submits IC recos on 2010 civilian killings to HC
Srinagar, Jun 01: The JK government on Friday submitted before the High Court a copy of recommendations made by the one-man Commission of Inquiry (CoI) instituted to unravel the 2010 unrest in which over a 100 protestors, mostly youth were killed by government forces.
The one man commission was headed by Justice (retd.) M L Koul.
Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M K Hanjura perused the report submitted in a sealed cover, in view of the sensitivity and security concern, as pleaded by the lawyer representing the state.
State’s Additional Advocate General B A Dar told the court that the report cannot be made public in what he termed “for the sake of national interests and security of the state”.
He, however, informed the judges that as per the directions of the court passed in the matter, Rs 6 lakhs have been paid to next of the kin of each of the slain persons during the unrest.
Nearly 125 civilians were killed during the unrest triggered by the killing of a teenaged boy in the city.
A public interest litigation had been filed into the killings which sought making the report public besides directions to the government to implement the recommendations of the CoI.
It also prayed grant of compensation to the victim families.
It further sought directions to the government to submit the action taken report with respect to findings of the Koul Commission before the court.
The State government was under a constitutional obligation to make the report public so that any lapse pointed out in the report was taken note of, the PIL said.
“By keeping the public at large in dark, the state is indulging in gross abuse of process of law and trying to shield those who may have been held guilty by the commission,” said the PIL.
Rashid Paul is Associate Editor at Kashmir Images.
He can be reached at [email protected]
