Kashmir - 16 yrs on, Wandhama victims await justice // Text of Sanjay Tickoo's press statement on Chief Ministers 'tweets'
The Wandhama massacre happened on the eve of Republic Day 1998 and two
years after the return of elected government in J&K. It was the third major
massacre of Hindus in the state since the election of Farooq Abdullah's party
into power. The separatists blamed Indian soldiers since the culprits were
disguised in Indian combat uniforms.
Omar Abdullah has recently tweeted that justice has had its way in the
Wandhama massacre since all those involved in planning and executing it were
eliminated by the security forces. Mr Sanjay Tickoo's press-release of January 27, 2014, states
otherwise. There is no credible information on who these terrorists were and
who their local guide was. Vinod Dhar's testimony establishes that residents of
the village knew what was going to happen. Omar Abdullah cannot escape his
responsibility. The man known as Bitta Karate is free today - he who confessed
to the killing of at least 20 people, most of them Pandits. When the judge
released him on bail six years ago he clearly stated that the state seemed disinterested
in the prosecution.
The RTI information obtained by Mr Sanjay Tickoo of the KPSS is important because the state has failed to arrest
anyone even though there were several clues and leads to follow on. There is a
suspicion that the massacre was committed by Kashmiri terrorists. An interview (the text of which shall be posted soon) with the lone survivor of the massacre is available
in Rahul Pandita’s book, Our Moon has blood clots. His name is Vinod (not Manoj
as in news-reports) Dhar and he was 14 years old when his family was wiped out
Text of Sanjay Tickoo's Press Statement
PRESS RELEASE / SOME FACTS ABOUT WANDHAMA MASSACRE
27.01.2014
Before reacting on "Twitter" Hon'ble
Chief Minister should have gone through the records.
Some Vital facts about Wandhama Massacre wherein 23 Kashmiri
Pandits were killed.
25/26.01.1998
23 Kashmiri Pandits Killed at Wandhama, Ganderbal
26.01.1998 - FIR lodged at Police Station Ganderbal
under no. 22/1998 under section 30, 436, 295 RPC read with 7/27 Arms Act.
25.01.2008 - As per news reported in Daily Kashmir Times
dated 25.01.2008
a) Police closed the case related to massacre of Pandits
at Wandhama with the conclusion that the gun men behind the massacre
are untraced.
b) Police claimed that day to had recovered a letter
in which an unknown militant organization, Intikaam-ul-Muslimoon, had
claimed responsibility for killing of Pandits The letter that was
tagged to one of the bullet-ridden bodies disclosed that this was the beginning
of a series of such attacks aimed at taking revenge for the killings in
Handwara.
c) Sub Divisional Police Officer, Ganderbal Shri.
Showkat Ahmad, who was then Station House Officer for the area told Kashmir Times
that “The case has been closed, as no one was identified as the killer of these
Pandits.”
27.01.2012 Communication from Inspector General of
Police, CID, J&K, Jammu Jammu
a) During the cause of investigation it was deposed by
the locals that Harkat-ul-Ansar outfit was active in the area and the militants
of the said outfit visited the area off an on, who also used to enter village
Wandhama which coming down from Manasbal Hills. They pointed a finger
of suspicion towards Harkat-ul-Ansar militants for this inhuman act.
b) On 17.02.1998, in an encounter at Safapora, Bandipora
06 militants got killed on spot, while as one militant who was seriously
injured was laying on the hill. Security Forces started search and apprehended
the said injured militant. On questioning he deposed that he alongwith other 06
killed militants were affiliated with Harkat-ul-Ansar militant outfit. He also
deposed that the said 23 Kashmiri Pandits of Wandhama Village were killed by 21
militants of the said outfit under the orders of their commander namely Captain
Shair Khan. Later on the said injured militant succumbed to his injuries on
24.02.1998
c) Later on 13 other militants all foreigners involved
in Wandhama killings got killed in different encounters. Finally the
investigation of the case was closed as un-traced on 15.06.1998.
1. At what input it was made out that the gunmen were
foreigners
2. Within a period of 140 days (less than 6 months the
case related to Massacre of 23 Kashmiri Pandits was closed as un-traced
(25.01.1998 to 15.06.1998)
3. As per previous police version, the killing was
claimed by unknown militant organization,
Intikaam-ul-Muslimoon, according to an alleged letter tagged to
one of the bullet ridden bodies of Kashmiri Pandits.
4. As per next version of police that on
suspicion the inhuman act was done by militant outfit namely Harkat-ul-Ansar.
5. As per police statement that the injured militant
encountered on 17.02.1998, wherein 6 other militants were allegedly killed in
Safapora area, deposed that 21 militants from Harkat-ul-Ansar alongwith him
killed 23 Kashmiri Pandits in Wandhama.
6. As per police statement out of 21 militants in all 6
+ 1 + 13 = 20 militants stand killed who were responsible for killing Kashmiri
Pandits as per the statement deposed by the injured militant. As such one
militant is still at large.
7. But, as per RTI information provided by Police
Department, filed by KPSS, there is “NO” report of any type of killing/
encounter/ cordon in District Bandipora in general and Safapora in particular
on the said alleged date i.e. 17.02.1998, as has been claimed by police and now
acknowledged by Hon’ble Chief Minister.
In addition to the controversial facts, the role of locals
has never been addressed in this tragic incident. If the militants were
foreigners, who informed them about the presence of Kashmiri Pandits in the
area?
Despite the controversial facts KPSS thank Hon’ble Chief
Minister Shri. Omer Abdullah for at least acknowledging what happened in the
past with regard to the tragic incident of Wandhama Massacre rather than
ignoring the KPSS statement as Separatists and Kashmiri Civil Society do. It
exposes the real faces of Kashmiri Civil Societies and Separatist Camps
in Kashmir and
their hollow claims of facilitating re-settlement of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir .
KPSS is always ready to provide all sorts of help to the
State Government to address all aspects regarding re-settlement of Kashmiri
Pandits in Kashmir
including the case so that Wandhama, Nadimarg, Sangrampora, Gool etc. are never
repeated.
Sanjay K. Tickoo
President (KPSS)
9906564741
Sixteen years on, the wandhama victims are still waiting for justice
Srinagar, Jan 24, 2014 - With the police having failed to trace out the killers, the
Wandhama massacre has been consigned to records. Yet another mysterious page
has been added to Jammu Kashmir's beleaguered history. Justice remains a
casualty…. Sixteen years have passed but nobody has been brought to justice.
The police have failed to identify the killers.
Wandhama massacre - In police files, it's a closed chapter: Shabir Ibn Yusuf
Hurriyat Conference observed a protest strike demanding an
inquiry. Amnesty International's request to investigate Wandhama carnage was
refused. After the incident a fear psychosis gripped the minority community in
the valley. The indiscriminate firing on the Pandits spared 16 year-old Manoj
Kumar Dhar, and, he was the lone eyewitness to the massacre. In a statement to
police on that night, Kumar said a group of masked gunmen came to his house at
about 11:30 pm and forced all those
insid to come out. "I jumped out of the wall of my house. As soon as my
father, brothers and sisters came out, I saw the gunmen shooting them. They
were crying and begging for life,'' he had told the police. Kumar had further
told police in his statement, "One of the gunman spotted me and
asked me to come out as well but I hid myself beneath a heap of saw dust stored
in the house. They then opened fire from all sides of the house and probably
believed that I too was killed in the firing. I can not identify them but they
were not speaking Kashmiri." Almost all the people of the area were in the
mosque as it was the holy night of Shab-e-Qader. Police recorded further
statements from the locals. "We came to know about the killings only when
a group of our women came wailing," Abdul Ahad, a villager told the police... Meanwhile, the police that day claimed to had recovered a
letter in which an unknown militant organisation, Intikaam-ul-Muslimoon, had
claimed responsibility for killing of Pandits. The letter that was tagged to
one of the bullet-ridden bodies disclosed that this was the beginning of a
series of such attacks aimed at taking revenge for the killings in
Handwara. Police said that the villagers
from both communities blamed the "unwise" shift of an army camp
from the area seven months before the incident. Militant groups at that time
had blamed security agencies for the massacre and denied their involvement. The
then minister of state for home Ali Mohammad Sagar had also criticised the role
of army saying the army camp located only some kms from Wandhama did not react
in time and reached the spot very late. This had trigerred off a major
controversy between Sagar and army. Sub Divisional police officer Ganderbal
Showkat Ahmad, who was then Station House Officer for the area told Kashmir
Times, "The case has been closed, as no one was identified as the killer
of these Pandits."
See also:
The Army’s clean chit to the accused in the Pathribal fake encounter case is an insult to the sacrifices made by its men in Kashmir.. “There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.” Two articles on the Pathribal fake encounter case
Samar Halarnkar demands justice for the victims of Pathribal
Book review: Superflous people - Rahul Pandita's 'Our Moon has blood clots'
Book review: Superflous people - Rahul Pandita's 'Our Moon has blood clots'
