Srinagar: While the security forces on Saturday continued their massive operations in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir to hunt down the militants responsible for the recent terror attack that left five soldiers dead and two critically injured, the authorities earlier during the day suspended mobile Internet services in the entire Pir Panjal region of the Union Territory in view of the persisting tension set off by the death of three residents allegedly in the Army custody.
The officials said that mobile Internet services were snapped as a precautionary measure to check rumour mongering and prevent miscreants from creating any law-and-order problem.
Bufliaz area of Poonch and its neighbourhood had on Friday night witnessed huge protests after three persons – Safeer Hussain (43), Mohammad Showket (27) and Shabir Ahmad (32)- among scores of residents detained by the Army for questioning in connection with Thursday’s incident at neighbouring Dera ki Gali area were returned dead. The protesters including the family members of the trio alleged that they had died due to 'torture' in the Army custody.
Senior police and civil administration officials including Poonch's DC Choudhary Muhammad Yasin rushed to the area to pacify the irate mobs. Meanwhile, the police had said that initial reports suggested that the three men – all residents of Topa Pir village- were found dead under suspicious circumstances near the site of Thursday 's attack and that it was investigating the cause of their death and the allegation by the locals that they had been picked up by the Army earlier.
On Saturday, a couple of videos showing some Army jawans beating up civilians with canes, stripping some of them and even pouring chilli powder over their whipped buttocks went viral, adding fuel to public anger. The Army is maintaining silence over the allegations.
However, amid the increasing rage and various mainstream opposition parties and separatist Hurriyat Conference appearing eager to corner the government over this incident-some of them including National Conference even choosing to take to the streets-the authorities announced that “legal action” into the death of the civilians has been initiated and that their families will get cash compensation and the next of kin of each deceased a government job on compassionate grounds.
An official statement issued simultaneously in Jammu and Srinagar read, “The death of three civilians was reported yesterday in Buffliaz of Poonch district. The medico legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority. The Government has announced compensation for each of the deceased. Further the Government has announced compassionate appointments to the next of kin of each deceased.”
