Separatist elements threatened witnesses to implicate forces: CBI
The Pioneer > Online Edition : >> Separatist elements threatened witnesses to implicate forces CBI
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
The CBI has found a number of evidence to establish that separatist elements tried to influence the witnesses to implicate the security personnel in the death of two Shopian women Neelofar Jan and Asiya Jan. Separatist supporters and advocates threatened two crucial eyewitnesses that their houses and shops would be burnt and their family wiped out if they did not frame up the police and security men.
There is a great deal of discrepancies in the statement of the two alleged key witnesses who deposed before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and Jan Commission about hearing the cries of the two women coming from a police vehicle and presence of men in uniform on the bridge over the river from where their bodies were recovered.
But Ghulam Mohiuddin Lone and Abdul Rasheed Pampori told the CBI they lied under threat and inducement about the presence of security men at the river bridge. In addition, the statements given by the two before the SIT and Jan Commission are also full of contradictions.
In his first statement, on June 6, 2009 recorded under Section 164-A J&K CrPC before the SIT, Ghulam Mohiuddin Lone stated that on May 29, 2009 after closing his shop at 8 pm, when he was heading home, he saw four uniformed persons standing before a blue colour police vehicle parked on the road after crossing the bridge. Lone said he and Pampori also heard the cries of women coming from the vehicle.
However, in his second statement, recorded by the CBI on October 10, 2009 under Section 164-A J&K CrPC, he stated that about 5-10 days after the death of Neelofar Jan and Asiya Jan, Advocates Abdul Majid Mir, Mohd Yusuf
Bhat, Mushtaq Ahmad Gatoo, Altaf, Mubarak, Al Mohd Sheikh, neighbour of Shakeel Ahmad Ahanger and Zahoor Ahmad Ahanger, and Shakeels brother came to his residence and took him to the bridge and enquired him about the incident. Shakeel is the husband of Neelofar.
After Lone told them he did not have any knowledge about the incident, they took him to Shakeels residence where Neelofars father Abdul Hai caught him by the neck and asked him to tell the truth. When Lone repeated he did not have any knowledge about the incident, advocate Abdul Majid beat him up and dragged him to another room. Lone told the CBI that Abdul Majid threatened him that if he did not give the statement that I have seen police vehicle near the bridge, they would burn my house and shop and would also kill my entire family.
He added that Abdul Majid Mir also told him that if he gave a false statement of their choice, he will be offered a shop at the Shopian bus stand and handsome amount of money.
Admitting that under intimidation, he gave false statements first to the Jan Commission and then before the CJM, Shopian, Lone told the CBI he neither saw any police vehicle near the bridge nor he heard any cries of women.
Similarly, the investigation has revealed that in his first statement under Section 164-A J&K CrPC on June 18, 2009, Pampori stated that on May 29, 2009 evening, when he along with Lone was going home, they saw a blue colour police vehicle, just after crossing the Rambiara Bridge facing towards Batpora, Shopian. He also stated that inside the vehicle he saw three policemen in uniform and heard cries of women asking for help from the vehicle.
However, in his statement recorded by the CBI on October 27, 2009, he stated that he gave false statement under pressure from Lone and some police persons.
Pamporis statement was corroborated by Haseeb Mughal, SP, Kishtwar and advocates Syed Aijaz Hussain, Mohd. Mansoor Shah and Ghulam Ahmad Paul. They told the CBI that on June 9, 2009, when Lone gave his statement implicating the policemen, Pampori told Jan Commission he had seen nothing of the sort.
Similarly, Ghulam Mohiuddin Lones father Ahmad Lone corroborated his sons statement. The elder Lone told the CBI that his son was picked up by Abdul Majid, Mushtaq Ahmad Gatoo, Mohd Yusuf Bhat, Sheikh Mubarak, Mohd. Sheikh and Zahoor Ahmad Ahanger in the evening of June 9.
When he Ghulam Mohiudin Lone returned home at about 3 am, he told me that he had been beaten, threatened and compelled to give false statements, Ahmad Lone told the CBI.
When Ahmad Lone visited Abdul Majid Mir the next day and protested against the beating, Mir told him that he was ready to keep him at his house for his safety.
The mala fide conduct of the advocates Abdul Majid Mir, Mushtaq Ahmad Gatoo and Mohd Yusuf Bhat is also evident from the statement of one Hasina, wife of Azad Ahmad Tureay. Hasina told the CBI that these advocates visited her house and Mushtaq Ahmad Gatoo told her to give a statement that she and her husband saw policemen and a police vehicle standing on the bridge and heard screams of the women near the Rambiara nallah in the late evening of May 29, 2009. Hasina was offered jobs for her children, a house and Rs 20 lakh.
Hasina also told the CBI that Mushtaq Ahmad Gatoo disclosed they had offered Ghulam Mohiuddin Lone and Abdul Rashid Pampori new houses and remuneration for making such false statements.
The investigation has also concluded that a concerted effort was made by these advocates and some private persons to create false evidence for implicating the police/security forces in the death of the two ladies.