Curfew continues after one-hour relaxation
People want NIA
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 3: A high-level Government delegation today held review of security situation in Kishtwar, where curfew continued for third consecutive day today barring one-hour relaxation by dividing the town in two parts and Army remained deployed while the local people called upon the visiting delegation of the State to handover investigations in the killings of noted BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar by suspected militants on Thursday night to the National Investigating Agency (NIA).
robe into killings
Advisor to Governor, Incharge Home Department, K Vijay Kumar, Home Secretary RK Goyal, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Sanjeev Verma visited Kishtwar this morning, where Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu, Dr SD Singh Jamwal and three SSPs-Manohar Singh, Sandeep Singh Wazir and Faisal Qureshi-deputed on special law and order duty, were already camping.
They reviewed security situation and law and order in Kishtwar and steps required to maintain peace and tranquility in the district in the wake of reports that the militants were making desperate attempts to revive militancy in the sensitive district and the killings of BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar are being seen as part of the militants’ designs.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government delegation stressed for taking firm steps to prevent revival of militancy in Kishtwar and surrounding Doda district and directed police officers to take all possible steps in this direction. They also directed the authorities to ensure that peace and normalcy isn’t disturbed in the district in the wake of killings.
Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana and SSP Kishtwar Rajinder Gupta were also present at the security review meeting.
Later, the Government delegation met local representatives from both the communities, who demanded that investigations in the killing of Parihar brothers should be handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) for fair and impartial probe. They assured the people that their demand will be considered.
At present, they told the people, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the case. The SIT is headed by Additional SP Kishtwar Perbheet Singh. They said the SIT has been asked to only devote itself to the case of killings for expeditious probe.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Sanjeev Verma told the Excelsior that they reviewed security, met the people from both communities and stressed for peace and normalcy. The demands raised by the people will be conveyed to the Government for appropriate decision, he said.
Meanwhile, there was strong resentment among the family members of Anil Parihar that none from the Government delegation or even the local civil and police administration bothered to visit the family to know their view point. They regretted that though top police and civil officials are camping in Kishtwar for last three days, they too didn’t meet the family members. Anil’s cousin Ranjit Parihar told the Excelsior that the Government as well as administration has ignored the family and even mandatory ex-gratia relief hasn’t been announced so far in their favour.
Meanwhile, as situation remained by and large peaceful in Kishtwar district, authorities announced relaxation of curfew for one hour by dividing the town in two parts. Curfew was relaxed in half of the town from 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm and in rest of the town from 3.45 pm to 4.45 pm, sources said, adding that curfew relaxation period passed off peacefully with no untoward incident or protest reported from any part of the town.
This was for the first time that curfew was relaxed in Kishtwar town since it was imposed on Thursday night after the killings of Parihar brothers.
Army remained deployed in sensitive areas of Kishtwar town while police and para-military personnel were posted in strength along with the troops to strictly enforce curfew restrictions and maintain law and order. Yesterday, the people had defied curfew after cremation of the Parihar brothers and held massive protest against the administration for their failure to prevent the killing of prominent BJP leader and his brother.
In Doda district, curfew was completely lifted from Doda town while it was relaxed initially for two hours from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm in Bhaderwah town and later extended up to 10 pm. Night curfew will remain imposed in Bhaderwah, SSP Doda Shabir Ahmad Malik said.
He added that Army remained in standby mode while para-military and police personnel have been deployed in heavy strength in Bhaderwah and Doda town to ensure that peace and normalcy wasn’t disturbed.
Meanwhile, according to sources, the Special Investigating Team (SIT) was working on various leads in the killing of the Parihar brothers.
They were working on various theories including whether the killing were executed by fresh recruited local militants or the militants hailing from Kashmir. There had been reports of attempts to revive militancy in Kishtwar district but nothing can be said at this stage, sources asserted.
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