Srinagar, Aug 14: As if the tragic death of three Nadihal youth killed in a fake encounter was not enough, the Jammu and Kashmir government has added insult to the injury by allegedly issuing “fake cheques” as compensation to next of kin of the victims.
Sources said three months after the gruesome incident the families were unable to withdraw ex-gratia of Rs one lakh each announced by the state government as the three cheques issued to them were without signatures.
Pertinently, the three cheques amounting to Rs one lakh each were handed-over to the families of the three Nadihal (Rafiabad) youth on May 30 by the minister of state for health and medical education Javid Ahmad Dar, who also represents the area in the state legislature.
However, according to family sources, the bank authorities told them that no cash could be withdrawn against the cheques as these were without any signatures.  “This is just insulting for the families,” they said.
“The grief-stricken families are made to roam from pillar to post to cash the cheques. This is just adding insult to their injury.”
Shahzad Khan, Riyaz Lone and Muhammad Shafi Lone—all residents of Nadihal, Rafiabad in district Varmul—were picked up by Army’s 4 Rajputana Rifles in April, through their local conduits, and later killed in a staged encounter near LoC in Machil sector. The incident triggered massive protests across the Valley forcing the government to announce a probe into the killings.
Sources said after the incident, the government decided to pay Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the victims as ex-gratia. However, the cheques issued to them were without “counter signature”, making it impossible for the families to cash them.
They said the authorities of district Varmul, who have reportedly issued the cheques, have promised to issue these afresh ‘when the situation becomes normal.’
Minister of state for health, Javid Ahmad Dar, feigned ignorance about the matter. “We have issued the cheques in May immediately after the bodies of the Machil victims were buried. Since then nobody has spoken to me that the cheques were fake or didn’t carry any signatures,” he told Greater Kashmir.
Dar, however, promised action. “I have asked the deputy commissioner Varmul to look into the issue and report back to me,” he said.
The additional deputy commissioner, Kupwara, Itrat Hussain said they had not released the compensation in favour of the families. “It doesn’t fall in our jurisdiction,” he told Greater Kashmir.
The deputy commissioner, Kupwara, didn’t respond to repeated calls from Greater Kashmir.
Pertinently on May 28, bodies of the three youth were exhumed at Kalaroos Kupwara by the district administration after their families identified them through their photographs, which appeared in local newspapers. The exhumation proved the youth were civilians killed in a “fake encounter.”

Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST