In his 80 years on the planet, Lal Hussain has seen lots. However nothing had ready him for the horrors he witnessed on December 22.
“They died in entrance of my eyes,” mentioned Hussain.
Hussain was one in all 9 residents of the Topa Peer village who had been picked up by Military personnel that Friday morning – a day after a lethal militant strike in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district killed 4 troopers.
Three of the detained civilians – Safeer Ahmad, 45, Mohammad Showkat, 26, and Shabir Ahmad, 30 – died as a result of alleged torture in Military custody. 5 others are nonetheless in hospital as a result of their accidents. Considered one of them is severely injured and has been shifted to Udhampur hospital.
Solely Lal Hussain returned the identical day. He is a vital eyewitness to the deaths of his fellow villagers, Safeer and Showkat.
“The troopers within the Military camp rained sticks on them constantly for five-and-a-half hours,” Hussain advised Scroll. “They didn’t even cease for a minute, it was as in the event that they had been threshing maize.”
Each time a stick would break, Hussain recounted, the troopers would rush to fetch one other. “When that stick didn’t final, they introduced water pipes…however they only didn’t cease in any respect till the 2 died.”
The Military has instituted a courtroom of inquiry into the deaths and shifted three officers out, together with a brigadier, of the area. The Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered a primary info report, reserving “unknown” people for homicide.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met the households of the victims in Rajouri and guaranteed them of justice.
The eyewitness
All 9 villagers from Topa Peer had been taken to the Military’s 48 Rashtriya Rifles Maal publish, Hussain advised Scroll. The army camp sits atop a hill on the opposite aspect of the village, some two kilometres away.
“After I was introduced contained in the camp, the corporate commander requested them, ‘Why have you ever introduced this previous man?” Hussain mentioned.
Regardless of the commander’s misgivings, the troopers beat up Hussain. “When a soldier hit me with a stick, the commander stopped him,” recalled Hussain. “I used to be then made to take a seat close to the opposite finish of the room whereas they continued to thrash the remainder of my villagers.”
Based on Hussain, Mohammad Showkat was the primary to die through the torture. After that, Safeer Ahmad additionally handed away.
“I bear in mind they died round 4 pm as a result of I may hear the asr azaan [the call for mid-afternoon prayers],” Hussain mentioned.
Shabir Ahmad, the third man who died, was alive on the time. “I feel he died when he was being later taken to the Military’s Bufliaz camp.”
Solely when the 2 males died did the Military males cease the torture. Hussain was let go. “They advised me to go residence and never speak about what had occurred to anybody,” he mentioned.
As soon as he returned, he alerted the villagers about what had transpired on the camp.
On December 22, a set of movies that went viral seems to corroborate Hussain’s account. They confirmed males in camouflage trousers beating civilians inside a room, .
Naseer Ahmad, a cousin of Mohammad Safeer, mentioned that Safeer’s physique bore grotesque torture marks. “There’s not a single patch of his physique which didn’t have a bruise or a wound,” mentioned Ahmad, who gave Safeer the ritual last tub earlier than his burial. “It appeared as if he was electrocuted on his arms. His neck was additionally damaged.”
The households of the opposite two victims additionally asserted that their our bodies had torture marks and bruises from shoulders to toe.
Scroll contacted the Military spokesperson for a press release concerning the accounts of the villagers of Topa Peer. The story shall be up to date in the event that they reply.
‘We’ll shoot you’
Whereas Hussain bore witness to what transpired contained in the Military camp, Fatima Kounsar, the spouse of Mohammad Showkat additionally noticed and heard a horrific scene unfold.
Kounsar’s maternal residence sits proper beneath the 48 Rashtriya Rifles’s Maal publish in Bufliaz.
“My relations had seen the Military males bringing my husband and others to the camp round 9.30 within the morning,” mentioned Kounsar. “Round 11 within the morning, we acquired a name from my mom that they had been listening to screams of detained villagers from the camp and that they had been being ruthlessly tortured.”
Kounsar rushed to her mom’s residence from the place she, together with a number of different feminine relations, made her technique to the Military publish. “We begged them to let the lads go however they abused us,” Kounsar advised Scroll. “The Military troopers on the gate shouted at us and mentioned they are going to drag us contained in the camp and strip us…They mentioned ‘Go residence or we’ll shoot you.’”
Turned again from the camp, Kounsar, nevertheless, may hear the lads being tortured from the rooftop of her maternal residence. “They had been beating them ruthlessly and dumping them in a water tank…We watched helplessly however couldn’t do something.”
A village rattled
Topa Peer village is a sleepy, distant village unfold over a hill, with 50-odd properties of the largely Gujjar tribal group. There aren’t any motorable roads right here nor even consuming water connections.
Its residents recount that the village was at least a house for the Military. That explains the anger villagers now maintain towards the Military’s 48 Rashtriya Rifles.
“This can be a small village and the Military’s publish is close by. Due to this fact, it’s frequent for them to roam within the village,” mentioned Noor Ahmad, a head constable with the Border Safety Pressure in Rajasthan, whose brother Mohammad Safeer is among the many lifeless. “They know everybody by title and the villagers had been very cordial with them too. It’s frequent for them to ask for issues like milk, tea and bread from individuals on any given day.”
Maybe, that’s the reason not many had felt fearful on the morning of December 22 when the Military got here to choose up the villagers.
“The Military man advised me that ‘Baba, isko abhi paanch minute essential jaane denge. We’ll let him go in 5 minutes,” recounted Wali Mohammad, the daddy of Mohammad Shabir, who died as a result of alleged torture. “It’s frequent for them to name locals for paid work…I didn’t know that they might not let him dwell.”
Border Safety Pressure constable Ahmad mentioned the village has identified peace all alongside its historical past. “Not a single particular person from this village has ever received concerned in militancy,” he emphasised.
Quite the opposite, the villagers prolonged their help to the Military on their very own, he mentioned. “If some Military personnel had been deployed within the village for some operation, my mom would make tea for them and feed them,” mentioned Ahmad, a father of 4. “She considered them like me, troopers doing their duties removed from their households and houses.”
It’s tough to say if the village will retain such an perspective in the direction of the Military. “This incident has brought on a divide between the Military and locals,” he mentioned.
A path of loss
The three victims depart behind damaged dad and mom and siblings, numb widows and kids.
Mohammad Safeer, a farmer, is survived by his spouse, 4 youngsters and previous dad and mom. Safeer’s youngest son, who’s two-and-a-half years previous and too younger to speak correctly, used to name his father Chaachu or uncle, mentioned Noor Ahmad.
“After he noticed the physique of his father, he babbles, ‘Fauji, chachu, katt’. Troopers reduce my father,” mentioned Ahmad, his eyes welling up.
Wali Mohammad, the daddy of shepherd Mohmmad Shabir, misplaced his spouse solely 4 months in the past. “I’m but to complete mourning her loss and right here I’ve been struck by one other tragedy,” mentioned Mohammad, who can not stroll with out the help of a stick. “I can’t transfer a lot, so he would maintain me at residence.”
Shabir leaves behind his spouse and a five-year-old son. His brother, who works as an Military porter, will now need to maintain two households and his ailing father.
Based on Mohammad, his grandson is satisfied that his father just isn’t coming again.
“I noticed him speaking to himself within the morning,” Mohammad mentioned. “He was saying that he would distribute his father’s sheep amongst his uncles,” Mohammad mentioned, breaking down.
Lovers separated
The lack of her husband has left 22-year-old Fatima Kounsar heartbroken.
A yr in the past, Kounsar and 26-year-old Mohammad Showkat had gained a hard-fought battle towards their households to be collectively.
Showkat was a Gujjar whereas Kounsar belonged to a Bakarwal household. “Our households had been towards our marriage however we didn’t relent,” mentioned Kounsar, talking in whispers. “We beloved one another. I couldn’t consider anybody else apart from him.”
Showkat was a shepherd who would maintain his ailing dad and mom, handicapped brother and handle the complete family. Considered one of his brothers works in Srinagar as a salesman and is generally not residence.
The couple was trying ahead to the start of their little one. “I do know I’m alone with out him…,” mentioned Kounsar, “However I’ll dwell like this. I’m not going to depart his home.”
All pictures by Safwat Zargar.
