What happened to Tabinda Gani?

Amid blooming apple orchards, an eerie clam prevails in this north Kashmir hamlet, 80 kms from the summer capital of Srinagar. After six years, there is hardly a villager who has forgotten the gruesome Tabinda Gani rape and murder incident, which shook the village to its foundations.

(Banned) Documentary: Ocean of Tears – KunanPoshpora

Short excerpt from Ocean of Tears a banned documentary on KunanPoshpora

Mubeena Gani: The Bride

Muhripora (Islamabad), May 17 2008: When a Barat (marriage party) was returning from the house of Muhammad Akbar Ganai, here at 12 in the night on May 18, 1990, no one would have imagined it would be the last Barat during nighttime in the valley.
Before the outbreak of militancy, there was a tradition of night Barats in the valley, but this fateful night changed the tradition.

As around 100 Baraties left for Lissar village near Kokernag in bus number 1373/JKF, the para military BSF troopers posted in Boniyan tal (near chinar trees) in Hakhoora ordered them to stop and switch off the lights of the bus. Eyewitnesses say that the troops without any reason fired indiscriminately on the Baraties killing one on the spot while injuring several others including the bridegroom, Abdul Rashid.

After that the troopers dragged the bride, Mubeena Akhtar and her maternal aunt, Aamina into the nearby field and gang raped them. They later pumped five bullets into the body of Mubeena, injuring her critically.

Recalling the horrific event, Mubeena’s sister, Shaheen, who was nine then said, “I cannot forget that fateful night and those images continue to haunt me. From that day onwards, my heart beats fast as soon I see any one in the khakis and even I don’t pass by the place where the incident occurred.”
Mubeena’s mother, Taja and father Muhammad Akbar are all praise for their son-in-law, Abdul Rasheed who despite all odds stood beside their daughter.
Though Mubeena and her husband somehow recovered but they have not been able to come out of the trauma.

“For me it was the end of the world and I never wanted to live any more, but my husband always supported me,” Mubeena said with tears rolling down her cheeks. “We are still waiting for the justice, but it seems that there is no hope now,” she added.

Mubeena’s cousin, Riyaz Ahmad Ganai, who too was accompanying the Barat received injuries in his right arm, which latter was amputated. According to the application signed by the then deputy commissioner, Islamabad, he only received an ex-gratia of Rs 5000.
Though a case was registered in the Dooru police station against the accused BSF troopers under FIR. No 53/1990 (under section 302/RPC) and a challan was registered in the District Court, Islamabad, the case was later closed for unknown reasons.
A copy of a police report lying with the family of victim reads that the BSF troopers resorted to unprovoked firing and then sexually assaulted Mubeena and her aunt Amina.

When this correspondent visited the concerned police station to check the details of FIR, the Munshi told that all the records prior to 1994 were damaged in a fire incident.
“We don’t have any record of the FIR,” he said.

 

GreaterKashmir (May 18, 2008)

Celebrating Tyranny and Victimization

JAMMU KASHMIR COALITION OF CIVIL SOCIETY
Press Statement
15th August 2012

 

It is despicable that the police officers responsible for serious human rights violations are receiving awards despite the crimes they have perpetrated. Today’s awards to some of the Jammu and Kashmir Police officers are an act of celebrating tyranny and victimization.

Superintendent of Police, Altaf Ahmad Khan is one of the officers who has been awarded with the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry. Altaf Ahmad Khan is notoriously known for perpetrating human rights violations in the areas where he has served.

On 3rd July 2004 a 16 year old girl (name withheld) was abducted from her school by Altaf Ahmad Khan, then Deputy Superintendent of Police Handwara, and taken to the Zachaldara Police Post. The girl was kept at the Police Post for three hours. Altaf Ahmad Khan and his associates tortured her. Altaf Ahmad Khan tore her clothes. Her shirt and pyjama were removed and she was thrown on the floor. When she asked for water and she was given water with salt and chilli. A heavy roller was rolled over her legs as well. She was kicked in the abdomen by Altaf Ahmad Khan and this resulted in her falling unconscious. Subsequently, the victim realized that she had been raped while she was unconscious as she was bleeding profusely from her vagina.

The victim was hospitalized for close to fifty days where she was operated upon and her uterus was removed.

The girl approached the State Human Rights Commission and on 19 November 2008 the final decision was issued where it was stated that the victim had been subject to “the worst type of human rights violations at the hands of two lady constables and the Dy.S.P. Altaf Ahmad Khan”. The SHRC recommended appropriate relief and an enquiry by a senior administrative/police officer. Despite the SHRC recommendation for an inquiry, it appears no investigations have taken place. Further, Altaf Ahmad Khan was promoted as the Superintendent of Police and has multiple accusations of human rights violations while he was posted in the Sopore area of Baramulla District.

On 31st July 2011 Nazim Rashid Shalla died in police custody in Sopore, due to torture, after being picked up by a joint group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army. In the extra-judicial execution of Nazim Rashid Shalla, Altaf Ahmad Khan was implicated and transferred from Sopore. During the pendency of the enquiry in the same case Altaf Ahmad Khan on 26th January 2012 received Gallantry Award from the army and now today he received a President’s Police Medal for Gallantry.

Pertinently in 2008, it was reported in the media that Supreme Court Justices Aftab Alam and G.S. Singhvi made observations in court in relation to the practice of fake encounters for rewards in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the past two decades several armed forces personnel and Jammu and Kashmir Police officers notoriously known for human rights violations have received gallantry awards, which suggest the institutional endorsement of the crimes perpetrated by these men in uniform. This policy of awards and the perpetual impunity in Jammu and Kashmir shows the complete disregard of the Indian state towards the human, civil, political and democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

On the other hand Police officers who have shown exemplary service towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir have either been dumped or reprimanded. The police officer who conducted the investigation on unmarked graves and mass graves in North Kashmir on the orders of SHRC has not been encouraged. The Assistant Superintendent of Police, Bandipora after carrying out investigation regarding the recent fake encounter killing carried out by Army, was demoted and humiliated, which has sent a message to other officers that performing their duty diligently is undesirable for the government.