The recent row on the mysterious death of  Sayeed Yousuf a N.C. worker raised many doubts on the working of the Crime Branch, once known as the most prestigious and specialized investigating wing of  the J&K police department. This branch is generally staffed  with the elite police officers who are most professional at their work. Such officers are highly trained and have sound knowledge and experience in crime work. They have the ability to detect heinous, specialized and organized crime.  Basically Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf the important N.C. worker was reportedly called to confront Muhammad Yousuf of Ganderbal, for the alleged charges of receiving  a huge amount from him to give undue favors. All the three N.C. workers including Abdul Slam Reshi were reportedly summoned for settling the issue of  money transaction, that had taken place between these  persons. This infamous incident unravels the truth of the  political corruption that exist in the highest echelons of the political parties. It is not only with the N.C. party where this malice is prevalent but also the main opposition party (PDP) can not claim to be so clean. The party has welcomed in its organization, a retired government official from Kishtiwar, who had allegedly faced many serious corruption charges while in service and was given a berth in the upper house. The PDP has thereby demolished the sanctity of the Upper house which was envisaged as house of elders to accommodate the men of merit who could make an intellectual contribution in the functioning of the legislature. On 05th October a protest march against the alleged political corruption was taken out by the PDP at  Regal Chowk Srinagar and  lead by its president who was flanked by yet another retired government official who has been allegedly facing the charges of corruption and accumulation of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during his service. This party is becoming the green pasture for all retired government officials who are allegedly neck deep involved in the corruption. Even the state BJP has also no moral right to make hue and cry on this issue as recently some of their MLA’s were allegedly involved in cross voting for enabling the few candidates of ruling coalition partners, to get elected as the members of the Upper house.
There is no doubt that the political corruption in the state has gained many heights in recent times and by simply playing   politics over the issue will not serve the purpose.  All the saner elements of the civil society have to sit together and make sincere efforts to eradicate all types of corruption including political, to pave way for good governance which  has become the need of the hour. A finger of suspicion is also raised on the role played by the officials of the crime branch and that of the security officer who were reportedly present there at the time of settling of the money issue. The senior officers of the crime branch have acted in more non professional way and the security officer without implementing and caring for due process of law, has reportedly behaved in a more callous way and exhibited himself as more loyal than the king. As per the reports of the electronic media particularly of ‘Times Now’ channel the startling revelation made by the eye witness Abdul Salam Rishi son of Gul Muhammad Rishi of Akingam, KoKernag. has unraveled the truth about what had actually happened there. If we believe his statement, one of the room was allegedly converted into the interrogation room, where the deceased  was taken and questioned by the security officer and what happened afterwards the eyewitness knows the better. The initial reports even disclosed that the deceased was questioned in presence of the IGP crime. The reports regarding feeling uneasiness and nausea by the deceased Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf before he was whisked away in the escort gipsy of IGP crime, are the points which need further and serious probing. The contradictory statements made by the IGP crime after the incident and registration of FIR for cheating against the deceased  by the crime branch after his death have further strengthened the doubts regarding the circumstances which lead to the mysterious death of Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf. But it is an established fact that the deceased has died in the police custody after he was handed over to crime branch officials and therefore a custodial death.
The IGP crime and one of his senior subordinate official are reportedly having close proximity with one of the leaders of PDP and congress higher ups respectively. They also being the eye witness to some of the glaring facts of the incident, no fair  investigation or conduct of inquest proceedings is therefore possible, till both are immediately shifted from the present assignment. This is also what the natural justice demand. The response of central congress leaders to the N.C. worker’s death row is neither  positive and nor encouraging.
The centre has always been very complacent when ever such situation arise in Kashmir. They have been applying two yard sticks, one for Kashmir and another for rest of the states of the country. When the law of land has taken its own course for two union ministers, one sitting MP in 2G scam, a powerful congress leader in CWG’s case and recent detention of sitting M.P of upper house formerly belonging to Samajwadi party for cash for vote scandal, why  the process of the said law of land does not take its own course in J&K. Are they waiting for one more Anna Hazare to appear on the horizon of Kashmir.

(Abdul Rashid Khan is  IGP(rtd). Feedback at adulrashidkhan47@gmail.com or call at 9419153691)

Lastupdate on : Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST