Srinagar, Mar 20 (UNI) All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Thursday expressed dismay over the delay in ensuring justice to the families of 35 Sikh families who were killed at Chattisinghpora in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district 25 years back.
In a statement, APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said although 25 years have passed no headway whatsoever has been made in the case. He said the delay in justice has led to disillusionment among the members of the Sikh community.
On the eve of former US president Bill Clinton’s visit to India in 2000, unknown gunmen shot dead 35 Sikhs at Chattisinghpora village. Five days after the massacre, the army claimed to have killed five Lashkar-e-Taiba militants at Pathribal involved in the incident. Later it turned out the killed men were civilians from nearby villages.
On April 3, 2000, seven protesters were killed at Brakpora in firing by forces while they were marching towards Anantnag.
“A total of 50 people were killed in Chattisinghpora episode. It is important that justice is not delivered to the victim families. At the same time investigations need to be carried out on the sequence of events that unfolded later on as 15 more persons belonging to the majority community were also killed in the aftermath of the Chattisinghpora massacre,” the APSCC Chairman said.
Raina said since the locals countered the claims of the government that it has killed five militants involved in the killing of 35 Sikhs, it is imperative that the whole incident be probed professionally so that culprits are brought to book and justice is delivered to the affected families.
“The police have so far failed to produce any hard evidence that the persons killed in the fake encounter were involved in the killing of Sikhs at Chattisinghpora. The committee formed by the government to find out the culprits has failed to solve the mystery.
"We urge both the state and central government to go for a fresh probe into the killings of Sikhs and make things clear. Pandian Commission should be allowed to further investigate the incident as Brakpora and Chattisinghpora cases are interlinked,” said Raina.
The APSCC Chairman said that the massacre was condemned by then President of USA, Bill Clinton. He urged the Government of India to nab the culprits, which he later on also mentioned in his book and termed the incident as the most unfortunate incident of his life. UNI MJR SSP