Yet to record statements before magistrate, say Poonch ‘torture’ victims
Surankote station-house officer inspector Rajesh Thappa said, “One of the injured was discharged from the hospital recently. He has to be fit for recording his statement before the magistrate. The date has not been finalised yet, but we will soon record their statements soon
Following alleged custodial killings of three men inside an army camp on December 22, a day after terror ambush left four soldiers dead and three injured at Poonch’s Surankote, the five injured men from Topa Peer village are yet to record statements before the district magistrate. The army has, however, recorded their statements twice.
Surankote station-house officer inspector Rajesh Thappa said, “One of the injured was discharged from the hospital recently. He has to be fit for recording his statement before the magistrate. The date has not been finalised yet, but we will soon record their statements soon.”
At least nine men were picked up by the army on December 22 from Topa Peer village, out of whom three died and six others were injured, allegedly in army’s 48 RR camp at Bafliaz.
One of the six injured men, Riaz Ahmed, 26, a class eight drop-out, recollected how three to four army officers headed by a senior visited them in army’s Potha hospital and then requisitioned them before a military court inside an army camp at Rajouri.
“The senior army officer asked us to narrate to him whatever had unfolded with us on December 22..that who picked us up from our houses and where we were taken and tortured,” said Riaz.
“The officer recorded our statements without any pressure. We hope justice will be delivered to us and those responsible will be punished as per the law of land,” he added.
The five men, who recorded their statements were Lal Hussain, 70, Riaz Ahmed, 26, Farooq Ahmed, 19, Israel,20, and Jameel Ahmed, 18.
The sixth injured Irfan Ahmed, 18, could not record his statement as he was shifted to Khyber hospital in Srinagar for treatment. He returned home a couple of days ago and still hasn’t recovered fully. The Army’s court of inquiry is being conducted at Akhnoor.
A senior army officer said, “A court of inquiry is conducted in a professional manner and there is no scope to fiddle with facts and statements.”
“On January 23, we had recorded our statements before the police at Surankote police station where the two officers (deputy superintendent of police and SHO) had sought details from us. Though the police have asked us to remain read, we have not been produced before a magistrate yet,” said Riaz.
He said that police have also assured them to produce suspected army men before them for identification.
Riaz’s youger brother, Farooq Ahmed, 19, was also among the injured, who appeared before the police at Surankote police station.
