Srinagar: Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday questioned bail being granted to an army officer convicted of killing three civilians in a “staged” encounter in 2020, with the NC leader terming it a reminder from the government that the blood of people of Jammu and Kashmir is “cheap”.
The armed forces tribunal in New Delhi has suspended the life sentence of Captain Bhoopendra Singh who was found guilty of killing three men in a “staged” encounter in south Kashmir’s Amshipora village in July 2020.
National Conference leader Abdullah said on Tuesday, “We are reminded repeatedly by the Centre that our blood is cheap, that there is no value of our blood. When our people get killed, nobody is bothered.”
“I was surprised to see yesterday’s news that the Army officer, who killed three men from Rajouri in a fake encounter in Shopian and was sentenced to life imprisonment by army court martial, was released and set free. How unfortunate!” Abdullah told a party convention in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district.
The former chief minister said people from Jammu and Kashmir who are in jails without any charges were not getting bail.
“How many of our youths are in jails after 2019? Our government employees are dismissed from service without any procedure, bulldozers are run over the houses of people on smallest of charges. But a man who has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for killing three civilians from Rajouri will be free now,” he added.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the bail granted to the Army officer raises serious questions on the sanctity of the judicial process.
“Just spoke with the father of the innocent civilian killed in the fake Amshipora encounter. He is utterly devastated by the Army Tribunal’s decision to revoke the life sentence judgement given to the Captain, who himself admitted to the crime.
“Raises serious questions on the sanctity of the judicial process,” Mehbooba Mufti posted on X.
