Rape of girl and mother shocks Handwara (Indian held Kashmir
-Shabir Ibn Yousuf
Handwara, Nov 7: The alleged gang rape of a 10-year-old girl and her mother by Rashtriya Rifles troops sparked off massive protest demonstrations in this border town of Kupwara district on Sunday. Though State Government has ordered a magisterial probe, the Army denies the charges.
Over six thousand people held strong protests at Kralgund and blocked Varmul-Handwara highway for over five hours. They raised slogans against the troops of 31 RR who, they alleged, raped 10-year-old Shabnam Rashid and her mother Aashia Begum, 29, wife of Abdur Rashid Dar, at Bader Payeen village of Handwara on Saturday night.
The troopers, the protesters said, led by a Major barged into the house of Abdul Rashid Dar at Bader Payen and separated male and female members of the family. "The troopers then pounced on Aashia Begum, a mother of six children and repeatedly raped her. They later took her daughter Shabnam in other room and gang raped her too," the protesters told Greater Kashmir.
Ghulam Nabi son of Abdur Rashid was taken into separate room and brutally tortured. The army personnel, according to protesters, were demanding a pistol and Radio set from him.
On Sunday morning villagers from Bader Payeen and Kralgund took to streets to protest the incident. "They (troops) have crossed limits now," the protesters were heard shouting.
The protesters were not pacified by the assurance of the Deputy Commissioner Handwara Abdul Majid Banday. "We won't move until the troopers involved will be punished," the protesters told DC. The DC told Greater Kashmir that case will be investigated and culprits will be booked. Police has registered a FIR 97/2004 under section 367, 456, 353.
About the incident, the SP Kupwara said "it asof grave nature. There were several complaints against the Major and his troopers."
In Srinagar, Defence spokesman Colonel Batra denied the allegations but said Army has ordered inquiry into the incident.
Colonel Batra gave his version: "On Saturday gunman fired upon Shalpora police station. The police personnel of Police station rang up 7 RR for help. 77 RR conveyed message to 30 RR. 30 RR deputed a patrolling party. But when 30 RR was on its way to police station, they were informed by their source that the militants who fired upon police station have fled away. The source told the patrolling party to search the house of Abdul Rashid Dar because militants were frequently taking shelter in his house. The army searched his house and came out".
He said medical examination of the mother and daughter has been conducted and Army is waiting for report. "Prima facie nothing has happened," he said.
Meanwhile, according to Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, the Government has taken immediate action on the allegation. The Government, he said, has appointed Sharafat Ali Khan Additional Deputy Commissioner as enquiry officer who has been advised to conduct magisterial probe into these allegations and ordered him to report the real facts of the case to government through Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara within 10 days.
The Handwara incident is third serious allegation against the security forces in the past 10 days.
The troops on Thursday had entered into a house in Sonabara Mattan in south Kashmir's Islamabad district and gang raped a woman. The Deputy Commissioner Islamabad on Saturday ordered probe into the incident though Army denies the charges.
In another incident, two troopers and two cops allegedly gang raped a girl from Sopur in a guesthouse at Rajbagh here last month. (With additional reporting by Altaf Baba from Varmul).
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