Srinagar: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Hyderpora encounter Wednesday threatened legal action against political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir for making “speculative” statements about the investigation.
In a statement issued by the police here, the SIT chairman said the probe team has come across posts on social media from some political leaders and family members casting “doubts upon the evidences obtained by SIT so far”.
“These people have tried to call it ‘Concocted Cover up Story’, ‘Ornamental Probe’, ‘Clean Chit to Killers’, ‘Fairy Tale of Police’ etc,” it said.
“Such speculative statements from the political leaders have tendency to create provocation, rumour, fear and alarm among the general masses or particular section of society. This kind of approach is against the rule of law and may attract appropriate penal provisions as envisaged under law,” the chairman said in a statement.
It said the government had ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and all such persons making statements should have approached the inquiry officer with genuine evidences they had, for corroboration or contradiction.
“The SIT constituted in the instant case is still investigating the matter, all such persons are once again advised to provide any type of evidence if they have regarding the incident so that every aspect of investigation is covered and concluded on merits,” the statement said.
Reacting to the SIT statement, former chief minister and National Conference vice president, Omar Abdullah tweeted:
“As to the “threat of penal action”. Criticising the report, whether interim or final is the right of any citizen & it does not behove J&K police to be trying to threaten people in to submission. If the SIT wants people to believe the report it should report the truth, period.
“If the SIT is “still investigating the matter” then what was the need to rush to the press with a statement yesterday? I don’t recall reading anywhere that yesterday’s report was an interim one”.
CPI(M) senior leader and former MLA Kulgam, M Y Tarigami also took to the social networking site and tweeted:
“Police warning of a penal action is like diktat and crossing all the limits of brazen bizarre display of authoritative tendency.
“Political leaders have ever (sic) right to ask questions. Threatening right to question is breach of law and duty police is supposed to uphold”.
