Sources said that other than the prospect of cash rewards and out-of-turn promotions, the police are aware that there`s an unofficial practice of categorising militants — category A is for top militants — and the fact that encounters involving foreign militants are rarely questioned.
A senior officer told The Indian Express: “This is the reason why each one of these civilians killed in fake encounters was dubbed a foreign militant. The culprits knew that not many questions will be asked once they tell their superiors that they have killed Pakistani militants. Nobody cares whether a foreign militant has been killed in a fake encounter or a genuine operation. The same goes for local militants who make it to category A.”
This unofficial practice, sources said, may have something to do with the consternation in police ranks ever since the release in Kandahar in 1999 of jailed militant leaders in exchange for passengers on board the hijacked IC-814.
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the Hurriyat moderate faction, has demanded an “impartial” probe by members of “civil society” into all allegations of custodial killings since the start of militancy in J&K and withdrawal of special powers to security forces in the state.
Demilitarisation and withdrawal of special powers to security forces would put an end to human rights violations and act as a first step towards resolution of Kashmir issue, the Mirwaiz told reporters after a meeting today of the separatist amalgam here.
“The main problem is the attitude and behaviour of Army and other forces towards the people of Kashmir. They have been given wide-ranging powers and operate with impunity,” he alleged.
He said Hurriyat would make all efforts to impress upon New Delhi the need to revoke Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Areas Act and Public Safety Act as these provisions provide a “blanket immunity” to the forces.
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