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KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, June 12: Thousands of people today took to streets at Ganderbal to protest the "molestation" of two women at the hands of security forces. A few dozen protesters were injured in teargas shelling amidst a total shutdown observed in the area. Reports said the troops allegedly molested a widow of Mohammad Abdullah. She was reportedly ghearoed by jawans while she was irrigating her field and molested. Abdullah was a pro-government militant.
In a seperate incident reports said jawans laid a cordon and search operation at Gadroo village, falling three kms away from Ganderbal, late in the evening yesterday. The male inmates of house were dragged and another woman was reportedly molested. Early in the morning today, reports said, a large number of residents flocked to the head office of Rashtriya Rifles to take up the issue with the army commander. Locals alleged that they were told to 'mend relations with army'.
Following these incidents massive demonstrations ensued in which people raised strong slogans against the local and army adminstration. Police resorted to severe tear-gas shelling in which some four dozen protestors were injured.
Three of them including Mohammad Sidiq, Abdul Rahman and Ali Mohammad are stated to be critical. Over a dozen prottestors were also arrested. Shops and business establishments today remained closed in the area and the situation is said to be tense.
GK News Service
Srinagar, June 21: Hundreds of people today staged a strong protest demonstration against the alleged rape attempt by the Special Security Branch personnel at Kaka Sarai today. Reports said a woman identified as Naseema of Anantnag was staying in the Auqaf Sarai situated close to the SMHS hospital as one of her relatives was admitted in the hospital. The inn is being guarded by the SSB men from 01 company.
The people said in the afternoon when Naseema was resting in the room, one of the SSB personnel broke the door of the room and attempted to rape her. However, Naseema raised an alarm which brought a large number of people to her rescue.
The people shouted slogans against the security forces and the state government. Soon the shopkeepers downed the shutters and joined the protesters. They pelted stones on the SSB personnel and blocked the busy Karan Nagar road. The pitched battle continued for a couple of hours causing traffic suspension for sometime.
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, June 23: Human Rights Front, an NGO that works for the civil liberties, on Saturday alleged that the police have not arrested any of the three soldiers responsible for the gang-rape of a poor village-woman Meenawati in the house of a BJP activist in Rajouri. An FIR has already been registered, the Front said. Giving details, the Front said that a 36-years old Meenawati wife of Balwant Singh of Dehar Sakri Budal went to the house of a local BJP leader Baghwan Das to seek his help for her problems. She was accompanied by Rafiq Ahmad.
While in Das's house, Meenawati was reportedly locked in a room and three soldiers were unleashed over her. She was allegedly gang-raped. She was infact rescued by the local police station who raided Das's house. Front said that the young women was sent for the medical examination that proved that she was gang-raped by the soldiers of whom one was identified as Satpal Singh, a driver. There was a lot of hue and cry against the gruesome act.
Front said that the police registered a case FIR under sections 109, 164 and 376 RPC and have taken in custody Baghwan Das and Rafiq Ahmad. However, there has been no action against any of the three soldiers. It has claimed that there is ample evidence against the trio but the police is not acting perhaps in a bid to save the soldiers.
In a separate statement, the NGO has expressed concern over the youth who went missing in mysterious circumstances. It has given a list of 11 youth who went missing in the recent days from various Pulwama villages. These include Zahoor Ahmad Thukar (Hefnagri), Fayaz Ahmad Misgar (Dadsara), Gulam Ahmad Tantray (Mishula), Gulam Hasan Ganai, Sartaj Ahmad Bhat (Hurmun), Showkat Ahmad Bhat (Gulshan Abad), Gowhar Ahmad Mir (Rajpora), Javed Ahmad Ittoo, Bashir Ahmad Ittoo (Sonachak), Manzoor Ahmad Najar (Gulshanabad), and Bashir Ahmad Mala (Chak-e-Badrinath).
The Front has alleged that the security forces are usually terming these missings as the youth have crossed over to the other side. This becomes a tool for them to torture the families, he alleged. Recently, it said, two youth returned home to Sopore only to tell their families that they had been arrested and were tortured by the troops in Baramulla.
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, July 17: Two girls, who were rescued by the local villagers from the army's dragnet, today revealed a horrifying tale of trauma to various visiting mainstream and separatist politicians.
Zahida and Tahira were arrested by the local army unit and allegedly molested by them. According to them, they were taken into a room of the local school and molested by several jawans and an officer identified as Wasim of Balpora camp. They said they dragged them into the room and asked them to undress, but the girls refused. Later, when people resisted, they were let free by the army troops, but not before they were molested and beaten to the pulp. The locals said police have refused to lodge an FIR against the army authorities.
It may be recalled here that on Sunday, police had to resort to firing in air to disperse the mob which were protesting against the molestation of two girls at Dobwan in Tangmarg tehsil. The angry villagers said the forces beat women of all hues without any provocation. They alleged that the army unit Balpora were repeatedly targeting the village unnecessary. The villagers said some jawans were demanding girls from them.
Rape victim in Pulwama submits before SHRC
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, May 5: A young house-wife who was raped by two ITBP personnel at her Marwal residence in Pulwama was today produced before the Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). The Commission directed IG (Kashmir) to submit further details and the progress of the investigations to the commission.
The victim Rubeena Akhter wife of Abdur Rehman Dar told SHRC that at 10 PM on May 3, there was a knock at their door. When the family responded to the knocks, they found some ITBP personnel who said they wished to search the house. They came in and were allegedly looking for some valuables and the money. During this process they took all the family members except Rubeena to a room and closed the door behind them.
They took Rubeena alongwith the second floor of the house on the pretext of searches, and found an empty room. While one of the two soldiers remained guard at the room entrance, another person raped her, she told Mr Justice (retd) G A Kuchay.
The victim told SHRC that she is a non-state subject and has been married for over a decade now. She has five children. Her visit to the SHRC was actually facilitated by the Human Rights Front, a delegation of which was infact responsible for managing the registration of an FIR with the Pulwama police station.
The Human Rights Front, a local NGO, in a separate statement said the police remained a mute spectator even after the people held protests, closed down their shutters and informed the top civil and police administration in the district. It was later with the active help of the NGO that the police lodged an FIR 106 of 2000. It was not known whether the victim was sent for necessary medical tests or not.
Protest in Handwara against alleged rapes
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Apr 27 : Strong protest demonstrations were held at Handwara in protest against the attempts of rape allegedly by security men at Juhama and Haril areas of the tehsil last night. The villagers alleged that the Rashtriya Rifles men of Haril camp forcibly entered into two houses of Mubarik Peer and Abdul Aziz Dar last night. They allegedly attempted to rape the women there.
The family members raised an alaram and caught hold of an security official. He was handed over to police by the people including the Peoples Democratic Party MLA Mohammad Sultan Panditpuri. The victims had marks of violence on their bodies.
The villagers said this was the second incident of its kind in their area. They alleged that the securitymen sprinkled kerosene oil on their beddings and threatened them of dire consequences if they did not hush up the matter.
Demonstrations were held at Handwara against the incident. Senior PDP leaders Mehbooba Mufti and Abdul Hamid Qarra rushed to the affected areas. They strongly condemned the incident and were briefed by the villagers about the entire episode.
Mehbooba Mufti demanded a stern action against the guilty and also sought shifting of the camp from Haril to restore confidence among the people. She strongly blamed chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah for such incidents and said the crimes against women were increasing due to the patronage of the security forces. She alleged that even as rape on a woman by a security man was confirmed at Nowgam- Banihal no action was taken against him. Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the atrocities on people were the outcome of pro active policy of the government.
Meanwhile, police today registered a case in connection with the attempt to rape in the Handwara area.
Maryam seeks intervention of rights organisations
GK Correspondent
Doda, Apr 27: Terrorized by the arrest of her husband, teenaged Maryam went to bed early on April 11 not knowing that her woes will multiply by leaps and bounds in a couple of hours.
Maryam w/o Yusuf Gujjar and mother of three kids, is presently undergoing treatment in district hospital Doda. She was allegedly raped by some men in uniform on April 11 in her house. Narrating her woeful tale to Greater Kashmir, she said, "On April 11, a group of about sixteen men in uniform raided my house and took away my husband to the army camp located about three kilometers away.
While my husband was in the camp, about a dozen men in uniform barged into my house on April 11 at 11 pm. I was sleeping in the house alongwith my father-in-law, mother-in-law and two small kids. We woke up and could see them throwing light on us. One of them asked me about the whereabouts of my husband. I told him that the army had taken him away. He accused us of providing food and shelter to the freedom fighters. One of them held me by my arms and dragged me out of my house. All of us cried but all in vain. The inmates were beaten and locked inside. Then they raped me and I fell unconscious. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in the district hospital on April 12 with the doctors attending on me". Maryam appealed the international rights organisations for help.
The news of rape caused a stir in the entire area. The incident evoked violent demonstrations in Doda and Kisthwar towns. Sensing trouble the police registered an FIR No 20/2000 under sections 376 RPC in the Kishtwar police station. However, no arrests have been effected till date.
