“Compensation and Jobs Announced for Kin of Deceased in Poonch District Ambush”

Accident – death – Obituary News : Jammu and Kashmir Administration Offers Compensation and Jobs to Families of Civilians Found Dead After Terrorist Ambush in Poonch District

In a bid to address the concerns raised by family members and political parties in the Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has announced compensation and job opportunities for the kin of three civilians who were found dead near the site of a terrorist ambush in Poonch district. However, the family members and political parties have alleged that the deaths were “custodial murders inside an army camp of 48 RR.”

The army’s search operations to neutralize the terrorists responsible for the ambush at Dhatyar Morh in Surankote, which led to the death of four soldiers and left three others injured, continued on Saturday. The army is determined to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.

According to a statement issued by the department of information and public relations of the J&K administration, the death of the three civilians in Baffliaz of Poonch District was reported on Friday. The necessary medico-legal formalities have been conducted, and legal action has been initiated by the appropriate authority. The government has announced compensation for each of the deceased individuals and has also offered compassionate appointments to their next of kin.

The deceased individuals have been identified as Safeer Hussain, Showket Ali, and Shabir Hussain, residents of Topa Peer village. On Saturday morning, the bodies of the three men were handed over to their families after post-mortem inside an army camp.

Mohammad Sadeeq, a panch from Topa Peer village, spoke out about the incident, claiming that the victims were innocent and had no involvement in Thursday’s ambush or any terrorist activities. He alleged that the army had detained nine men from the village while they were having morning tea in their houses. Sadeeq further claimed that the detained individuals were first taken to Mal post, where they were subjected to torture, and were later shifted to Bafliaz post.

“The dead bodies were handed over to us at 8 am today (Saturday). We are going to bury them today, but we demand justice. We also ask the army to provide evidence of their involvement in any terror activity,” Sadeeq stated. He also revealed that the deceased individuals had visible injury marks on their bodies, indicating that they had been subjected to severe torture, including acid and chilli powder being poured on them, as well as electric shocks in water-filled tanks. Sadeeq shared two videos of the alleged torture with the deputy magistrate.

However, the authenticity of the videos could not be verified by Hindustan Times. Despite repeated attempts to reach out to Poonch DC Choudhary, SSP Vinay Kumar, and Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, no response was received. Additionally, the army’s defense spokesperson stated that they had no information regarding the family’s claims.

In response to the incident, several political parties in Jammu and Kashmir staged protests and demanded an impartial probe into the deaths of the three civilians. Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed her concerns during a press conference in Srinagar. She mentioned that after the Poonch incident, 15 people were picked up by the army for questioning from Topa Peer village. Out of the 15, the bodies of three individuals with injury marks were found near the encounter site, while the remaining 12 individuals are admitted to different hospitals in critical condition. Mufti also highlighted a heart-wrenching video that allegedly shows army personnel abusing and assaulting people, including spraying red chilli powder on their wounds. She demanded a probe into the incident and compensation for the affected families.

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the ambush site on Friday to investigate the matter. The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack, although officials are yet to confirm its veracity.

In conclusion, the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s announcement of compensation and job opportunities for the families of the deceased civilians is aimed at addressing the concerns raised by family members and political parties. The ongoing search operations by the army to apprehend those responsible for the terrorist ambush continue, as calls for an impartial probe into the deaths and allegations of custodial murders grow louder. The NIA’s visit to the ambush site signifies the seriousness with which the authorities are treating the incident..