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 |  Subject: Where people arrested by police disappear  Wed May 06, 2009 8:02 am | |
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- Photographer missing in custody for 12 yrs
Hapless Father Seeks Whereabouts
ARIF SHAFI WANI
Srinagar, May 5: Despite court orders, the successive governments have failed to locate the whereabouts of a Kashmir University photographer who went missing in the custody of the notorious Special Task Force of JK Police in 1997.
Twenty-eight year old Fayaz Ahmad Beigh of Khajapora Nowshehra in old city here, working with the varsity’s Central Asian Studies department, was allegedly picked up from University campus by the STF personnel on September 6, 1997. Fayaz’s detention had triggered widespread protests by students and teachers, forcing the police to search for his whereabouts but in vain. “The STF team was led by its SP Operations Awantipora, Hans Raj Parihar. The STF cooked up a story and filed an FIR in Soura Police Station stating that my son had run away from their custody,” Fayaz’s father, Abdur Rashid said.
The main accused in the case, Parihar, is facing trial in the fake encounter killing of at least three civilians in Ganderbal for promotions and rewards during his tenure as Senior Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal.
Rashid said he had approached the then Home minister, Ali Muhammad Sagar, who directed the CID to probe the matter.
“The Inspector General of CID submitted in its report that Fayaz was arrested from university campus and the story put forth by the STF was concocted and false. However, the Government did not take any action,” he said.
After failing to get justice, Rashid had approached the State Human Rights Commission in 2002. He said the Commission after probing the matter also rejected the STF and Police story regarding Fayaz’s escape as “ridiculous” and recommended monetary relief and criminal proceedings against the accused STF personnel.
However, after the Government did not take any action, Rashid knocked the doors of the court. He filed a writ petition in the court for implementation of SHRC recommendations.
In 2003, Rashid said, the court upheld the SHRC judgement and directed the Government to initiate action against the accused. “But the Government has maintained silence over the matter. Instead, the accused are trying their best to hush up the case. But I will not sit and continue to fight to locate whereabouts of my son,” Rashid said.
Last year Rashid penned a booklet depicting his struggle and pain in search of his son. - Code:
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http://www.greaterkashmir.com/today/full_story.asp?Date=4_5_2009&ItemID=53&cat=1 |
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