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 to Director General of Police, J&K, Jammu vide no. CID/HR/SHRC-250/2008 reveals that
                                   
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
SRINAGAR, Jan 24: *Police has closed the case related to massacre of Pandits at Wandhama with the conclusion that the gun men behind the massacre are untraced.*  During the intervening night of January 25 and 26, 1998, twenty three Kashmiri Pandits were killed by unidentified gunmen in Wandhama village of Ganderbal. "The case has been closed as no one involved in the massacre was identified," says police. The gruesome killing of 23 Kashmiri Pandits on that day triggered off fresh migration of Pandit families. Several of the few Kashmiri Pandit families who had endured the turmoil and were against the migration, migrated after the massacre. The massacre of Pandits at Wandhama went uninvestigated despite repeated demands by the Kashmiris.

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 

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