*2690 cases of stone pelting reported in one year
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 3: In a big question mark on the performance of Investigating Officers of nine Police Stations of Kashmir valley, 63 rifles and 186 magazines looted by the militants and mob from 16 different locations have yet not been recovered despite lapse of considerable period of time.
According to the official data provided by the Home Department in the Legislative Assembly today, 16 incidents of looting/snatching of rifles and magazines besides huge number of rounds took place under the jurisdiction of nine Police Stations in Kashmir valley during the period between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016.
Of these incidents, maximum four incidents took place under the jurisdiction of DH Pora Police Station followed by Pulwama (three) and Kulgam and Shopian (two each). The other incidents took place under the jurisdiction of Batmaloo, Anantnag, Dooru, Chadoora and Budgam Police Stations.
Giving gist of the cases, the Home Department said that in some cases the militants fired upon the police personnel deployed in the general areas and decamped with their service rifles after killing them while as in other cases they attached the cops deployed for the security of political workers and looted their service rifles after eliminating or injuring them.
In some other cases the militants even entered the guarded places and snatched rifles, magazines and rounds from the cops. The incidents of militants forcibly snatching the weapons from the cops without harming them physically were also reported from some parts of Valley.
According to the official data, five incidents of mob attacking guard posts and decamping with the weapons and arms during the period of unrest in Kashmir valley were reported from five different places.
In all these 16 incidents of weapon looting, FIRs under different sections of RPC and Arms Act were registered but till date no major headway has been made by the concerned Police Stations as a result of which neither the accused could be arrested nor looted weapons recovered.
AK-47s, SLRs, INSAS Rifles, Pistols and Carbines were among the weapons looted by the militants and mob, the Home Department said in reply to the question of independent MLA Er Abdul Rashid.
According to the data, a total of 2690 cases of stone pelting were also registered during the period between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. The maximum cases were registered in Sopore (492) followed by Srinagar (339) and Baramulla (318). The other stone pelting incidents were reported from Ganderbal (65), Budgam (163), Anantnag (271), Shopian (173), Pulwama (143), Kulgam (167), Awantipora (121), Bandipora (109), Kupwara (218) and Handwara (111).
In reply to question of Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, the Minister Incharge Home said that during the recent unrest 2632 FIRs were registered and almost all are still under investigation. “Besides, 463 persons were detained under Public Safety Act out of which 145 were released and presently 318 are under detention”, the Minister added.
Replying to question of NC MLA Mubarak Gul, the Government said that a total of 59 youths joined militant ranks after the killing of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year.
“As reported by CID Headquarters, 59 youth have joined militant ranks after 8th July, 2016”, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in a written reply, adding the Government has notified a Surrender Policy which was superseded by Rehabilitation Policy to encourage the misguided youths and militants to abjure violence and accept the integrity of India and the Constitution.
The incentives offered under the policy are fixed deposits of Rs 1.50 lakh, payment of monetary incentive for surrender of weapons and stipend for a period of 3 years at the rate of Rs 2,000 per month from the date of surrender. Under this policy, 437 cases of surrendered militants were received from 2004 till date.
As many as 216 cases have been finalised and monthly incentive of Rs 2.68 crore has been paid while as 219 cases have been rejected.
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