The Army has moved the Supreme Court against the orders of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on investigation and compensation in the Kunan Poshpora alleged mass rape committed by security forces in 1991 in north Kashmir.
According to the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (CCS), a rights body tracking the case, the Army has contended before the apex court that the allegations of rape and torture are “a hoax orchestrated by militant groups and part of a cleverly contrived strategy of psychological warfare to discredit the security forces and to jeopardise counter-insurgency operations”.
A CCS spokesman alleged this is the latest attempt by the state to delay proceedings and frustrate every effort of the survivors for justice. “To date, six victims of rape and torture have died,” he added.
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On February 23-24, 1991, the Army personnel were accused of raping over 20 women in the twin villages of Kunan Poshpora.In December 2014, the J&K government had also challenged the same High Court orders before the Supreme Court on the issue of compensation, and got a stay on the orders.
Multiple petitions
The Supreme Court heard the fresh Army petition on May 13, 2016, issued notice and tagged both petitions to be now heard before the court together.
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Besides the above two petitions in the Supreme Court, there are three petitions pending before the Jammu & Kashmir High Court: one by the survivors seeking investigation and prosecution, and two by the Army — against the implementation of the State Human Rights Commission recommendations in this case and against the police probe ordered by the Judicial Magistrate, Kupwara, on June 18, 2013.
Yet another bid to frustrate efforts of survivors for justice: rights group