KL Report
SRINAGAR
After 22 years, CBI filed documents in Sopore Massacre case without giving the victim families access to the documents.
“Hearing the closure report filed by the CBI in the Sopore massacre case, the TADA Court, Srinagar today ordered the CBI to provide all supporting documents – witness statements etc – in the case,” Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) Thursday said.
“The entire investigation record is now finally before a court. But, the CBI does not want the victim families to have any access to these documents, or even be heard by the court on whether the case should be shut down.”
The JKCCS spokesman, Khurram Parvez said that this was the same position taken by the Indian army and the Government prosecutor in the Kunan Poshpora mass rape and torture case of 1991. “Clearly, Government of India, across the board, takes the same position and wants the victims and their families to be shut out of all legal proceedings. In this case, after protecting the perpetrators the CBI now wants to ensure that no one can now review their work/cover up,” he said. “In a separate submission, the BSF [who had also filed an FIR in this case blaming militants for the massacre], took no objection to the CBI closure report in their FIR but sought that the weapons seized be returned to them.”
Three survivors of the 6 January 1993 Sopore massacre had earlier, 28 June 2014, filed a protest petition against the closure report filed by the CBI on 4 December 2013 before the TADA court, Srinagar, after 20 years. The protest petition – seeking further investigations in this case – is a contestation of the States lies and attempts to cover up the Sopore massacre of 1993.
On 6 January 1993, personnel of the 94th Battalion, BSF carried out an attack in Sopore town that led to the killing of more than 50 civilians, scores of injured, and destruction of more than 500 shops and 20-25 houses. The Sopore chowk area was burnt down including the roadside areas of: Shahabad, Bobimir Sahab, Muslim Peer, Shallapora and Kralteng. Further, Samad Talkies, and the women’s college located near the Sopore chowk were also burnt. One FIR [8/1993] was filed on behalf of the victims, and FIR no. 9/1993 was filed by the BSF for the same incident.
