Army picks up locals daily, five beaten up in custody: Kishtwar village sarpanch

Army faces allegations of harassment and torture in Kishtwar, Jammu; probe ordered, sparking concerns over human rights violations.

The Army on Thursday (November 21, 2024) faced allegations of harassment of locals and torture of five civilians in custody in the Chenab Valley’s Kishtwar district in the Jammu region, which saw a stepped-up militancy and frequent gunbattles this year. The Army has ordered a probe into the incident.  

“Villages in my panchayat are the worst sufferers since the militants killed two Village Defence Guards [on November 9]. There is hardly a day when 10 to 12 locals are not picked up, detained and interrogated,” Farooq Ahmed Kripak, sarpanch of Keshwan A, Thakrie, Kishtwar, told The Hindu over the phone.

The situation allegedly took an ugly turn on November 20 when four civilians were rounded up around 1 p.m. and released with injuries and torture marks on their bodies around 6 p.m. “All the victims are less or around 30 years old. Those who bore injury marks were Sajad Hussain, Mehraj Din, Ghulam Hassan, Mushtaq Ahmad and Abdul Kabir,” Mr. Kripak said.

The sarpanch said the villagers are in a state of shock after the frequent detentions. He met senior officials of the J&K police and the Army officer to address the issue on Wednesday (November 20, 2024). “I was assured by the Army’s top official that no one will be rounded up now onwards. However, I just received a call [on Thursday] from locals that around 12 youths have been summoned to the Army installation tomorrow. One among those is over 65 years old,” Mr. Kripak said.

A video has also went viral online where the injured civilians were being shifted with “torture marks”. 

An Army spokesman said an investigation was being launched “to ascertain the facts”. “There are some reports on the alleged ill treatment of civilians during the conduct of an operation. An investigation is being launched to ascertain the facts. Necessary follow up action will be ensured,” the Army said.

According to the Army, an operation was launched by the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles on 20 November 2024 based on specific intelligence of the movement of a group of terrorists in the Kishtwar Sector. “Further movement of the group of terrorists is being monitored,” the Army added.