 Early Times Report
Jammu, July 8: The Aneesh's mentally wrecked parents must have lost all faith in the state's law enforcing agency but forest minister Bali Bhagat today said he would tEake up the issue at the government level for a thorough probe into it if the grieved couple "feels that police have done injustice to them at any level".
Aneesh (18) was shot dead by police at Domana on October 28, 2005. He was neither a suspect nor an anti-social element. When the incident occured, he was sitting on the pillion seat of the motorcycle of his cousin Rakesh Kumar, a sepoy in army. Their fault: Rakesh broke a police naka and did not stop for checking. He himself was wounded critically in the police firing on them.
The forest minister, who represents Raipur-Domana segment, said since it was an old issue, he did not know much about it. "Despite that, none from the grieved family has approached me as yet. But, since the issue pertains to my constituency, I will surely try to find out the whereabouts of Aneesh's family at Domana. Once their house is located, I will myself go them and speak to the family about the Aneesh's killing and the present status of the case," he added.
"In case the family apprises me of the injustice meted out to it at any level of police investigation, I assure you that I will take up the matter with the government so that justice is done to it," Bhagat asserted.
The victims of police atrocities in Domana assembly segment have attached a lot of hopes with Bali Bhagat in view of his pro-active role in the killing of Tarsem Lal Bhagat (24) at Domana on June 20 last. He had spoken to the state police chief and got the five guilty cops booked in a murder case.
Aneesh's family can also hope of some help from the minister. The poor chap had nothing to do with any criminal activity. On the fateful day, he was enjoying a ride on the motorcycle of his cousin. When police signalled Rakesh to stop for routine checking, he had sped away. The cops, who had become suspicious of them, did not at all give them a chase but one of them allegedly opened fire, killing Aneesh on the spot and critically wounding Rakesh. No cop was arrested in this case despite violent protests by people.
Even then concerned MLA and Jammu ministers had not helped the victim's family to get justice. Rath, who then enjoyed the backing of a Congress minister (who badly lost the last assembly polls), was also not put to any questioning.
Police have no legal licence to kill any citizen. In the June 20 incident, they allegedly shot dead a suspected smuggler but Aneesh, the only son of his parents, was not even a suspect in any case. He was hardly 18 at the time of his killing. SPO Satpal, an ex-serviceman, was arrested in the case but no need was surprisingly felt by the police headquarters to find out on whose orders the SPO had opened fire. This was very important from the investigation point of view but this aspect was "wilfully" ignored.
For their criminal role in police uniform, police personnel must be handed the severest punishment. But when they go unpunished, it definitely acts as a morale booster for other such criminals in the belt-force. To restore people's confidence in the law and order machinery, all such cases of the police atrocities in Jammu region need to be re-opened for fresh investigations.
In the police lockups also, accused are treated in a most inhuman manner. Their inhumane treatment, starvation and lack of medical care make these legal torturers guilty of crimes against humanity.
Following anti-police protests after the Aneesh's killing, a magisterial probe was ordered into the incident on October 31, 2005, and then additional district magistrate Sanjeev Verma was made inquiry officer.
Verma, vide his letter No DCJ/ADC/Inquiry/Domana Firing/2005-06, submitted a detailed report based on the findings made by him in the matter.
Before the inquiry officer, Satpal deposed to having opened fire on motorcyclist Rakesh and pillion rider Aneesh allegedly on the ASP's orders.
The report says that the firing occured after the motorcycle riders, who had come from Purkhoo side, broke the police naka even when they were given due signal to stop for checking.
It says that Satpal, in his reply, stated that when the motorcycle riders, despite caution and signal by various officials on the naka, did not stop, "he opened fire on the alleged orders of his officer".
However, during cross-examination by the commission in the presence of Satpal, Rath rebutted his statement "by averring that, at the time of the incident, he was involved in a checking operation inside a bus".
The commission observed that instead of opening fire at the motorcycle riders, the cops could have given them a chase, or the next naka could have been sounded to apprehend them but this was not done. Firing should have taken place after exhausting all other alternatives. Even if the fire had to be opened, it should have been in the air, the commission felt.
The firing ought to have been opened only when there was a firm pre-information about the dangerous designs and antecedents of the persons who were trying to escape from police cordon. Before opening fire, it was must to establish beyond doubt that the escape of persons would severely endanger the security of the area, the state, or the country, the commission observed.
The commission, on the basis of the information gathered from public and the spot visits, held the view that Aneesh's family had suffered an irrepairable loss due to his death in firing. As he contributed significantly to the family income, his death had made the family penurious, it said.
The commission had also recommended to compensate the loss caused to the family because of his death.
No departmental action was taken against Rath even after the commission's report that went against him. He was rather rewarded with a plum posting as SSP, Jammu.
Police ought to be patted in the Tarsem's case for wasting no time in booking his "killers" but they could have earned more appreciation had they acted with the same wisdom and sense of justice in the case of Aneesh's killing. |
