JAMMU: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Sunday demanded a judicial inquiry into two alleged incidents of human rights violations in Kathua and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Iltija, daughter of PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, visited the family of a youth who recently committed suicide in Kathua following alleged torture by police over his suspected links with terrorists.
She was scheduled to address a press conference at party headquarters in Jammu but claimed that she was not allowed to move out of the Circuit house by police personnel who were deployed in strength.
Iltija’s visit to Kathua comes a day after she claimed that she and her mother had been placed under house arrest in Srinagar.
Makhan Din (25), a Gujjar youth from Billawar area of Kathua, ended his life by consuming insecticide at his home on Tuesday evening and recorded the act on a video claiming innocence. He denied any connection with terrorists, prompting separate probes by the police and the local administration.
“I demand judicial inquiry into both the incidents of human rights violations which have taken place in Kathua and Baramulla (where a truck driver was shot dead by the Army after he jumped a check-post on Wednesday).
“As far as the Kathua case is concerned, there are grave allegations of corruption against the local SHO (Station House Officer) Jitender Singh. The families claimed that their wards are being picked up to extort money from them. The whole area is under terror which is not the handwork of any militant but by a police officer,” Iltija told waiting reporters from inside the gate of the circuit house after she was denied permission to move out by police.
Questioning no action against the accused officer so far, she said “I am a harmless girl… had I come here to break any law? I came from Srinagar to Jammu during the night hours like a thief and reached Kathua at 6 am. On returning to Jammu, I was detained.”
“What wrong have I done? If there is any human rights violation, there should be accountability and we need to know why a youth ended his life like this?” she said.
Criticising the National Conference Government, Iltija said the chief minister instead of consoling the widow of the deceased youth is hosting ‘Al fresco’ lunch in Delhi. The youth’s widow had not taken her meals for the last five days.
“This government wants to absolve itself by saying that it (law and order) is the responsibility of the LG,” she said. In a post on X, Iltija on reaching Jammu said, “Detained at Circuit House Jammu now. All this because @JmuKmrPolice wanted me to cancel my press conference scheduled for 4 pm”.
“This is ‘Naya Kashmir’ and the true face of it. The elected government is too busy hosting a lunch in Delhi to care about victims of human rights violations,” she wrote on X.
Earlier in the day, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti wrote on X, “Finally Iltija managed to reach Bilawer in Kathua to meet the bereaved family of Makhan Din, who was driven to suicide by police torture.”
“It’s deeply saddening that she (Iltija) had to endure so many obstacles and travel like a fugitive just to offer comfort to the victim’s family. The ruling party has shirked responsibility conveniently attributing all issues to the Lieutenant Governor. However, as a responsible opposition PDP will always strive to reach out to the people to offer solace,” she said. On Saturday, Iltija claimed in a social media post that she and her mother were under house arrest in Srinagar.
“I intended to visit Kathua to meet Makhan Din’s family and (I) am not being allowed to even move out. Nothing has changed in Kashmir even after elections. Now even comforting the families of victims is being criminalised,” she said on X. “My mother and I both have been placed under house arrest. Our gates have been locked up because she (Mehbooba) was meant to visit Sopore where Waseem Mir (truck driver) was shot dead by the army,” Iltija said.
