While terming the revelations of the Handwara Girl as a reflection of the grave crimes of the men in uniform against the women in Kashmir, Chairman Hurriyat (G) Syed Ali Geelani demanded impartial investigation of this incident by some independent investigation commission and immediate action against the involved higher officials of army and police. He said that the Indian army had always used the rape and molestation of women as a major war weapon in Jammu & Kashmir and it is the responsibility of the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal and the human rights organization to take serious notice of this situation and come to the rescue of the innocent women of this region.In a statement issued to KNS, Syed Ali Geelani said that the molestation and rape of the women by the Indian army is a norm in Kashmir and the boarder district Kupwara is the most affected region in this regard. These kinds of incidents mostly do not come to front due to the social stigma attached with the rape and the molestation cases.
While giving example of the mass gang rape incident of Kunan Poshpora, Syed Ali Geelani said that India had always tried to protect its forces personals and hide their crime against the women in Kashmir. A senior most leader of BJP had on record said that “we can’t punish our soldiers who are involved in the crimes against the women in Kashmir because it will affect their moral”. Hurriyat (G) chairman said that this policy had made the Indian army more bold and brave in committing these crimes and they don’t hesitate in doing such acts. While strongly criticizing the state police for their leading role in the covering up of the crimes, Syed Ali Geelani said that “the way the state police had tried to hide the crime in Handwara and save the involved army personals that is very sorrowful and concerning”. Syed Ali Geelani demanded immediate suspension of SP Handwara and other involved police personals and investigation of this incident by some independent commission and said that with the recent statement of the girl the case had taken a serious turn and this case is needed to be investigated from the beginning so that the real culprits will be held accountable.
He said that the professional responsibility of the police is the protection of the life, property and honour of the people but in Jammu & Kashmir it goes quit opposite. The police in this region have turned into a mafia and instead of saving people and controlling crimes, they are siding with the criminals and are misusing their powers against the general public. This filthy and criminal character of the police had made the common man of Kashmir extremely unsafe.
Syed Ali Geelani said that the police in Jammu & Kashmir are playing the role of a personal and private organization of the Indian army and the pro-Indian politicians.Syed Ali Geelani said that this institution has also become a hub of the corrupt practices.The corruption in the police department is so organized that it has became a kind of trade within the department and the corruption money flows from top to the bottom smoothly. (KNS)