The police on Saturday refused to mention any of its personnel in the First Information Report even as a case of attempt to murder was registered over the death of a middle-aged woman in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Fatima of Dadina village, who was hit on the head with an AK-47 rifle allegedly by a head constable on July 23, succumbed to her injuries at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences.
Fatima was laid to rest in the village cemetery but not before a massive protest demonstration.
“It will take them five minutes to know who was in the Police party and who was not. They can identify the killer in a minute or two.
Fifty women have identified the tall man in the Police uniform who hit Fatima on head with an AK-47 rifle. Why do the Police make it an issue of ego only to protect some unbridled personnel?” the residents asked, invariably.
As the government continued to be in a denial mode and there has been no reaction to the protests from the Information and the Police departments, authorities re-imposed curfew in Budgam, Dadina and other places. The restrictions were relaxed in the afternoon.
“We have a set procedure for registration of an FIR. To begin with, we have registered case FIR No: 261 under sections 307 [attempt to murder], 148, 149 and 436 of the RPC [Ranbir Penal Code]. Since the death has subsequently occurred, the FIR could be turned into section 302 of the RPC [murder].The accused could be identified on the basis of the recorded statements of the eyewitnesses and other accounts, nominated and booked”, Station House Officer Budgam Inspector Javed told The Hindu .
Superintendent of Police Mohammad Irshad added” “Law will take its own course. The killer will be identified, arrested, removed from service and passed through a trial”. He dismissed allegations of cover up against the Police as “completely untrue.”
Post mortem on victim’s body was earlier conducted by a team of the doctors at Aga Syed Yousuf Memorial District Hospital, Budgam, amid a tight security.
