Srinagar, June 22: Jammu and Kashmir Government has revealed that 21 inquiries, which include 17 under Commission of inquiry Act-1962, were ordered in the state during past two decades.
According to the information furnished by Law Department in response to an application filed by Khurram Parvez of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) under Right to Information Act 2009, JK Government has disclosed that 17 COIs and four judicial inquiries have been ordered since 90.
The information reveals that first inquiry was ordered in Sopore massacre of 1993. In 1995, three probes were ordered to investigate three separate cases including assault on Dr Farooq Abdullah at Rajouri and death of persons due to bomb explosion at Purani Mandi Jammu.
In 1996 and 1998, two inquiries were respectively ordered to investigate the assault on Dr Bharat Bushan and death of Bakhti at Bandipora.
In 1998, government appointed Sain Dass, research officer Law department to probe into the entry alleged use of force by police in the civil secretariat. However, Justice A Q Parray replaced Dass eight days later and the report was submitted four years later.
In 1999, two member Commission of Inquiry comprising Justice A Q Parray (former judge of Jammu and Kashmir High Court ) as chairman and Pavittar Singh as member was constituted to inquire into the issuance of Permanent Residence Certificate in contravention of the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Permanent Resident Certificates Procedure Act, 1963.
Two years later, one man CoI vide SRO-04 dated February1, 2000, comprising Justice K K Gupta was set up to inquire into the allegations arising out of scheme to seek finance from private financial institutions for development of housing colony at Sidhra Jammu.
Following the massive protests,  the government instituted inquiry vide SRO number 99 dated April 17 , 2000 under Justice SR Pandian to enquire into the causes and circumstances leading to the event of firing at Brakpora/ Bulbul Nowgam Islamabad(Anantnag).
The report was submitted in 2000. In 2001, Government vide SRO-63 dated April 17, 2001 ordered an inquiry to probe into the causes and circumstances which led to firing on a procession at Haigam Sopore and  Maisuma Srinagar. Justice O P Shrama who headed the probe submitted his report in 2002.
A year later, Justice G A Kuchhai, retired High Court judge was appointed as the head of one man commission to inquire into whether the samples of those killed in Pathribal Islamabad (Anantnag), which were sent for DNA test to Kolkata were fake. It completed its findings within nine months.
The Law department, in 2002, vide order number 2396-LD (A)ordered an inquiry  to look into the causes and circumstances leading to gruesome murder of retired Deputy Superintendent of Police and his family.
In 2006 government vide order number 1973-LD(A) of 2006 appointed Justice Tariq Ahmad Naqashbandi to conduct inquiry into the drowning   of 22 students/staff / staff of Burning Candle School in Handwara in Wular lake  on May 30, 2006.
The then government led by Ghulam Nabi Azad appointed Justice (retd) M L Koul to enquire into the causes, circumstances and conspiracy, if any, in Ganderbal fake encounter killings of 2008.
During 2008, two inquiries were instituted to probe into the separate mysterious deaths in Samba and Sopore. In 2008 an inquiry was ordered to probe the “alleged suicide” by Kuldeep Kumar. However, the appointment of commission is sub-judice.
In 2009, vide SRO number 160 , State Home department ordered an inquiry into an  alleged rape and murder of Neelofar Jan and Asiya Jan of Shopian on the intervening night of May 29 and 30  that year .The inquiry report was submitted by Justice(retired) Muzaffar Jan . However, the case was subsequently handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by Omar Abdullah government.
About the COI constituted to probe the 17 killings during last year’s summer unrest, the reply states that High Court has restrained the commission from finalizing the report. However, it adds that case is being contested through senior law officers in the court. Pertinently, Justice (retd) Syed Bashir-ud-Din and Justice (retd) Y P Nagrota were appointed to probe 17 killings allegedly by police and CRPF in 2010.
According to the information, the report of the inquiry ordered to look into the causes and circumstances leading to the death of Syed Muhammad Yosuf is still pending.

SENSATIONAL DISCLOSURE
The State Government has blamed the inquiry officer investigating the Sopore massacre of 1993 for putting an end to the probe ordered by it.
The documents reveal that Jammu and Kashmir Government has blamed Justice Amarjeet Singh for putting an end to the inquiry.
“Justice Amarjeet was time and again requested to complete the inquiry but without any positive response. Since March 1993 we have been requesting him to visit the state particularly Srinagar during summer so that he could examine the witnesses including the senior officer. (But) he has been avoiding visiting Srinagar,” the letter by the advisor of Governor B K Goswami to the then Union Home Secretary K Padmananabiah states.
“The failure of inquiry officer to conduct proceedings has shaken the credibility of Government among the public,” the letter states.
The Commission of Inquiry ordered by Government in the wake of Ganderbal fake encounter killings has failed to formulate any public opinion, the information reveals.
“However, the commission while parting with the reference feels that for many years the investigation is not completed by the police in the matters which assume public importance, the emotions and sentiments of the parents and relatives of the victims and the public at large get badly injured and once this lava of public resentment lubricates it gives birth to sea of disbelief and resentment against the police functioning,” the report submitted by government by Justice M L Koul reads.

JKCCS SPEAK
Meanwhile, Khurram Parvez said that RTI revelation has given credence to the assumption that inquiries are only ordered to buy time and to pacify masses.
“Had government been sincere in providing justice to the victims then it would have ordered inquiry by separate judges in Sopore massacre and Ganderbal fake encounter,” he said.

RTI REVEALS
*  Recommendations not  implemented

* Failure of inquiry officer  shakes Govt’s credibility

* Lava of public resentment  gives birth to sea of disbelief

Lastupdate on : Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 23 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST