Ex-JK minister Kithcloo, others indicted for 2013 Kishtwar Eid communal violence

Former Jammu & Kashmir Minister of State for Home, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, is among nearly five dozen senior civil and police officers including senior IAS and IPS officers indicted by Justice (retired) R C Gandhi Commission into the 2013 Eid communal violence which left three dead and an over 80 injured.

During the nine hour long free for all to the routing mobs, a large number of houses and commercial establishments were razed to ashes in Kishtwar during Eid on August 9, 2013. As violence spilled to other parts of the state, the then Omar Abdullah government had imposed curfew across the state.

The IAS and IPS officials, according to Minister of State for Revenue and R&B, Sunil Sharma, include then Inspector General if Police for Jammu zone, Rajesh Kumar, DIG Ramban-Doda-Kishtwar range Ashkoor Wani, Deputy Commissioner and SP Kishtwar, M. Saleem Choudhary and Sunil Gupta, respectively. The government has got the final report of the enqyiry commission and it is now under examination, said Sharma.

Sharma, who is BJP MLA from Kishtwar, said that Kitchloo should be immediately arrested as he has been indicted for involvement into the riots by an enquiry commission constituted by their own Omar Abdullah government. “Not only Kitchloo, even the then Chief Minister (Omar Abdullah) shall also be arrested for giving statements misleading the Assembly and also the people of the country and the state,” he said, describe the Kishtwar violence on Eid a conspiracy to divide the entire state on communal lines.

Sharma, who defeated Kitchloo in Kishtwar during the 2014 assembly polls in the state, was accused by Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress coalition government of inciting and leading the rioters. To probe the causes and the persons involved in the riots, the government has appointed retired High Court judge, Justice Gandhi, as one man enquiry commission.

During its interim report, Justice Gandhi, had exonerated Kitchloo of the charges making Omar Abdullah reinduct him into his ministry as MOS Home.

Senior NC legislator and former Ministet Mohammad Akbar Lone said that action shall be taken whosoever is found guilty. However, as Justice Commission had in his interim report submitted earlier had exonerated Kitchloo of the charges, the government shall examine both the reports. Kitchloo too shall be given a chance to defend himself, he added.

Earlier, the issue was raised by BJP legislators during question hour in the Legislative Assembly who demanded arrest of Kitchloo in view of Justice Gandhi’s fundings. As members did not listen to Speaker’s request to take their seats, Minister if Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Basharat Bukhari disclosed that the government has received the report and it is under examination at present.

Source:: Indian Express