The family of Tufail Mattoo, who was killed at the age of 17 in police firing in Srinagar in June 2010, on Tuesday accused the State government of denying it the access to the report submitted by the one-man commission on the 2010 civilian killings.
The report was submitted to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on December 30.
Speaking to The Hindu, the victim’s father, Ashraf Mattoo, alleged that officials at the tribunal in Srinagar denied him access to the report by the retired Justice M.L. Koul. The judicial commission investigated more than 60 civilian killings among the 113 deaths that took place in 2010 during street clashes.
Denial of right
“I filed an application for the report in the first week of January. I am told that I will get access only to a small portion of the report. Isn’t it my right to get a copy of the report of which I have been a part since its formation in 2014,” asked Mr. Mattoo, whose son, a Class 12 student, was killed on June 11, 2010 in police firing.
His death sparked a cycle of violence in the Kashmir Valley.
Mr. Mattoo said he had deposed before the Commission more than six times and “cooperated with the authorities to deliver justice” in one of the most widely reported cases.
Repeated pleadings
“I had pleaded before the Commission repeatedly to make all people who were at the helm of affairs then to depose before the Commission. To my shock, neither the then Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, nor the Home Minister deposed before the Commission in any case or collectively. I want to go through the report to see how much of our plea was heard and incorporated,” Mr. Mattoo said.
He warned that if the Commission failed to deliver justice, then “this report is a tombstone of the idea of justice” in Kashmir.
“In the absence of justice, civilian killing gives oxygen to the mainstream parties in Kashmir. Both Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference accuse each other of civilian killings but none is ready to deliver justice. Do I have the right to know who killed my son and how,” Mr. Mattoo asked.
Procedural lapses
The one-man commission, in its report, raised questions on procedural lapses by the security forces while dealing with the law and order problem in the State.
“Both administration and police were inactive and indolent in tackling the law and order situation,” it remarked.
