Srinagar, Aug 2: While passing a judgment, over a case filed by MLA Langate Er Rasheed, State Human Rights Commission has recommended compensation in favour of a man killed by the Army two years back.
 The commission has said that 60 years old Mukhtar Ahmad Sheikh of Thokar Pora Langate had nothing to do with the militancy but was killed for “vested interests” in a fake encounter.
 On 17 October 2010 Army claimed to have killed a “militant” Mukhtar Ahmad Sheikh in a gun battle at Bhawan Watsar Forests. Since the man, a domestic help of one Muhammad Maqbool Dar of Khahipora Langate was known to the masses of the area as a poor and simple man the story of his being a militant could not be swallowed in the area which demanded a through probe into the incident.
 Er Rasheed filed a complaint before the State Human Rights Commission on November 15, 2010 seeking a probe into the killing and demanding compensation in favour of Sheikh’s family. The SHRC after completing the investigation has come up with a decision wherein not only Mukhtar has been declared as an innocent but has been stated the he was killed “knowingly and intentionally” by the vested interests and the body was handed over to the police by Army .
 The Commission, in its findings, has said that the man was actually lifted from his house by some unknown gunmen and was later taken to Bhawan Watsar forests where he was killed in a fake encounter staged for vested interests.
 The commission has said that Mukhtar was claimed d to be a militant though he had nothing to do with the militancy. It said that the body of the victim was handed over to the local police by the Army who claimed to have killed him in a fierce battle.
 The SHRC has recommended a cash relief of Rs 4 Lakh or a Government job for the next of kin of the victim and has asked the Govt to compensate the family within a specified time.
 Meanwhile, commenting over the judgment, the complainant Er Rasheed said the decision has once again proved that the Army is behaving as if it has a free hand to kill the innocent Kashmiris.
 He said the decision has come at a time when the Army has recently killed one more innocent in Bandipora in a fake encounter and a killing that took place in Shopian is doubtful.
 He emphasized the need of making the Army accountable and said that the guilty should immediately be punished for killing innocents.
 “Otherwise the situation can take any ugly turn,” he warned.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 2 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 2 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 3 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST