J&K: Relatives of slain civilians from Poonch get job appointments, land allotments
Three men from the district allegedly died in the Indian Army’s custody in December, after being picked up for questioning about an attack on army vehicles.
The next of kin of three civilians from Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, who were allegedly killed in the Indian Army’s custody in December, received job appointment letters and land allotment orders on Sunday.
These were handed to the relatives by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha “on compassionate grounds”, the governor’s office said in a post on social media platform X.
Under the Statutory Regulatory Order 43 – also known as the Jammu and Kashmir Compassionate Appointment Rules, 1994 – the kin of civilians killed in militant attacks are eligible to be compensated with cash or by receiving a government job, or both.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration had announced in December that the relatives of the three civilians, identified as Safeer Hussain (43), Mohammad Showket (27) and Shabir Ahmad (32), would be compensated.
Hussain’s wife Zareena Begum, Showket’s brother Razaq and Ahmad’s brother Kabir, who are residents of a village in the Bufliaz area of Surankote, received the job letters and were allotted one kanal (around 5,400 square feet) of land each, which they can use for residential purposes.
Handed over appointment orders on compassionate grounds, and allotment orders of land measuring one Kanal each, to the Next of Kin (NoK) of three civilians who had lost their lives in Poonch. We stand with families & assured them all possible support from the J&K Administration. pic.twitter.com/vxhNPhxLJA
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) March 3, 2024
Hussain, Showket and Ahmad were part of a group of eight civilians picked up for questioning on December 22 by the Indian Army in connection with an attack on two of its vehicles a day earlier, which left four soldiers dead and two injured. The People’s Anti-Fascist Front, an offshoot of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed responsibility for the attack.
On December 23, Hussain, Showket and Ahmad were found dead near the site of the ambush.
The other five civilians were allegedly tortured. In December, the National Commission for Minorities had taken cognisance of a complaint in the matter by Delhi-based human rights activist Saddam Mujeeb, who is affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party.
Mujeeb had written to the commission with news reports describing the Army’s treatment of the civilians. He sought adequate medical care for those who were allegedly tortured in addition to compensation for the victims and their families.
In his complaint, Mujeeb spoke about a 29-second video clip showing the “Army personnel stripping the three men and subjecting them to severe treatment, including the application of chilli powder [in their wounds].”
After the video was shared on social media, Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande visited the Union territory and asked commanders to conduct military operations in the “most professional manner”.