Srinagar, Oct 12: State High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the state government to file reply within two weeks to the petition seeking directions to the respondents for conducting DNA test of the bodies lying in unmarked graves.
“The respondents be directed to take all necessary steps in conducting DNA testing of all the unnamed graves so that the body of the petitioner’s father can be identified and recovered,” counsel for the petitioner prayed before the court.
Syed Babar Jan Qadri, counsel for the petitioner Zahoor Ahmad Mir, pleaded before the court that father of the petitioner, late Ali Muhammad Mir, was killed by pro-government gunman Ghulam Muhammad Lone alias Papa Kishtwari and his associates, seeking also direction for the government to pay a compensation of rupees five crore to the petitioner in the interest of justice.
The counsel prayed for the directions to the government to ensure the safety of the petitioner by providing him a reasonable security, citing the reason that he is under constant threat from the absconding criminals and killers of his father.
“The petitioner’s father, a 45-year old contractor was killed in custody by the government sponsored gunman, Ghulam Muhammad Lone alias Papa Kishtwari and his associates and an FIR was registered following which prosecution was initiated against the accused in the trial court,” the counsel told the court.
“The police has already completed the investigations against the accused and has produced charge-sheet before the court, but some of them are still absconding,” he told the court.
The counsel pleaded before the court that the eyewitnesses have deposed against the accused in the trial court that the petitioner’s father was killed by the government sponsored gunmen in their custody.
He pleaded that the petitioner was struggling to get the body of his father since 1996, when he was abducted, to perform his last rites but his efforts have not materialized and the State Human Rights Commission’s report over the existence of mass graves here has raised a hope for the petitioner, who has filed a petition to recover the body of his father.
“The petitioner has strived to get an FIR registered against the accused and an FIR was lodged against them with police station Nishat in 2007, but still some of the accused are absconding, who are a grave threat to the life of the petitioner and two constables are not a sufficient security for him but he needs a reasonable security,” the counsel informed the court.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST