JAMMU: National Conference-led coalition government had a vested interest in shelving the crucial Justice Gandhi Commission Report on Kishtwar communal riots as its minister Sajjad Kitchloo had masterminded it. The PDP-BJP Government let it gain dust because politicians, bureaucrats and police officers of a particular community ensured the sinister conspiracy to be executed. Now, will Governor N N Vohra take a call?
Kishtwar communal flare up is a horrendous saga of senior ruling party politician and minister designing the script, Deputy Commissioner Saleem Mohd conniving and middle rung police officers like Farooq Qaiser actually executing by not only giving long rope to rioters but also instigating them.
Justice Gandhi Commission Report unequivocally points out the involvement Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Headquarters (Hq) Kishtwar Farooq Qaiser Malik in the conspiracy for burning of the bazaar on 9th August, 2013-the Eid day.
Ironically the locals had been demanding the removal of DySP Farooq Qaiser as he was creating the atmosphere for riots for quite a time.
Deputy Commissioner Saleem Mohammed had also admitted in his statement to Justice Gandhi Commission that locals had formally demanded the transfer of Farooq Qaiser well before Eid but he took no action”.
Quoting series of witnesses, Justice Gandhi Report states that Deputy Superintendent of Police Farooq Qaiser was tacitly involved in the rioting and burning of the city. He also instigated the boys under a well-knit plan which was taken to its logical end.
Ghulam Mushtafa Ganai, son of Aziz Mohd Ganai, Haq Nawaz, son of Mohd Iqbal Bhat and Arif Hussain, son of Ghulam Mohd had stated that he was involved in the conspiracy for burning of the bazaar.
Javed Iqbal, son of Abdul Rehman had stated that the Deputy Superintendent of Police had not behaved well which was expected of an officer of his rank as he instigated the boys saying that “it is a chance, do whatever you can.” Similar were the statement of Zabar Bakshi, son of Ghulam Nabi and Daniyal Farid son of Farid Ahmed. Khursheed Ahmed, son of Ali Mohd Ganai had stated that he heard the people saying that Deputy Superintendent of Police was involved in the conspiracy, according to Gandhi Commission Report.
Sajjad Ahmed Najar, son of Abdul Gaffar had stated that when he was in the hospital on 9th August, 2013 at noon, the Deputy Superintendent of Police came in the hospital for treatment of stone injury on his head.
The Naqabposh boys came to know that the Deputy Superintendent of Police Farooq Qaiser is in the hospital. They came to him and asked him, “Sir, what we should do now?” The Deputy Superintendent of Police told them in the presence of the witness that “he cannot do anything, go to the bazaar and burn the shops and houses of Hindus,” says Justice Gandhi Commission Report, adding, “he thereby incited the boys and was responsible for it.
Najar told the Superintendent of Police, incharge Special Investigation Team and also to the Minister, Sajjad Kichloo on his subsequent visit to Kishtwar in first week of June, 2014, added Justice Gandhi Report. The report carries statements of another set of evidences against the Deputy Superintendent of Police HQ Farooq Qaiser. They include Khursheed Ahmed, son of Ghulam Hussain Shah, Rayees Ahmed, son of Abdul Kabir, Khalid Hussain, son of Ghulam Rasool Shah, Ghulam Mustafa Ganai, son of Aziz Mohd Ganai, Haq Nawaz, son of Mohd Iqbal Bhat, Arif Hussain, son of Ghulam Mohd, Javed Iqbal, son of Abdul Rehman, Zaber Bakshi, son of Ghulam Nabi Bakshi, Daniyal Farid, son of Farid Ahmed, Khursheed Ahmed, son of Ali Mohd Ganai, Koushal Wazir, son of Mohan Lal Wazir, Sajjad Ahmed Nazar, son of Abdul Gaffar, Hans Raj Buniyal, son of Laxmi Chand, Ram Sewak Sharma, son of Josh Ram Sharma, Swami Raj, son of Tej Ram and Rajinder Singh, son of Prem Nath.
Justice Gandhi Report further says “It is also stated by the witnesses that they demanded the transfer of the Deputy Superintendent of Police in July 2013 as people were not happy with his performance. Had he been transferred, riots would not have occurred. Before the ministerial delegation and the political delegation which visited Kishtwar after the incident, the demand was made for transfer of the Deputy Superintendent of Police and he wasn’t permitted to sit in the meeting.”
Report also states that the Dy SP had a round of the bazaar in police jeep in the morning when Naqabposh boys were roaming there. “He did not prevent or arrest them, which indicates that he was hand in glove with the Naqabposh boys to implement the planned conspiracy. It is also stated by Rajinder Singh, son of Prem Nath that the demand for transfer of the Deputy Superintendent of Police was made before and after the Eid to the administration and delegations which visited Kishtwar”.
On 9th August, 2013 Dy SP Farooq Qaiser visited Godali Chowk before its burning and commanded the SSB personnel on duty there, states Gandhi Commission report, adding, “DySP told them that there should be no re-action against the boys and in case they reacted action will be taken against them”. After he left Godali Chowk, Naqabposh boys came and Amar Market situated in the Chowk was burnt and the SSB personnel did not intervene though the burnt market was at a distance of only 15 to 20 feet from their Picket.
Sunil Sharma, son of Bansi Lal Sharma had stated to the Commission that when he was coming, on Eid day at about 10:00 A.M., from the hospital towards Dak Bunglow, he saw a police jeep in which Deputy Superintendent of Police, Qaiser was sitting and having round of the bazaar. The Naqabposh boys were roaming in the streets and the bazaar but the Deputy Superintendent of Police did not question them and instead turned blind eye towards them.
Shiv Kumar Singh Chouhan, SP, Incharge Special Investigation Team (SIT) had stated that at about 10:00 AM, the Naqabposh boys and anti-national elements armed with Lathis and iron rods were roaming in the bazaar and streets and the DySP Farooq Qaiser was having a round of the city at that time in a police vehicle. He saw these armed boys but did not ask them the reason of their roaming in the bazaar, says Justice Gandhi Report.