Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has advised the security establishment in the Union Territory to not let soldiers, paramilitary personnel and police take the law into their hands.
BJP leader Sinha’s guidance to the top brass of army, paramilitary and police forces came at a meeting after he was appointed as Lt Governor on August 6, officials told ET.
The move is part of the government’s efforts to win the trust of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir who have borne the brunt of the decades-long insurgency in the region. The government says civil unrest due to military high-handedness can also derail its development plan for the newly formed UT.
“A week after taking over the charge of J&K LG, Sinha had held discussion with top brass of the army and made his opinion clear that action must be initiated into the July 18 Shopian encounter. Later, he also directed the police to probe the matter. Such actions were taken to deter trigger happy cops and jawans against unplanned, rash action in anti-terror operations,” the officials said.
Around September 11, the family members of three men — Ibrar Ahmad, Abrar Ahmad and Imtiyaz – who were killed in the Sophian encounter, wrote a letter to Sinha over what they stated was “inordinate delay” in getting results of DNA tests performed on the deceased. They also sought justice on the grounds that innocent labourers were shot dead in a fake encounter.
The LG is said to have sought an update from the administration to ensure that laws are followed in the case.