Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 30: In a petition filed by Des Raj Bhagat, father of Arvind Raj, who was killed in rioting in Kishtwar, seeking CBI probe, High Court today issued notice to the then Minister of State for Home, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, Principal Secretary Home Department, present and the then Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, DIG Ramban-Doda-Kishtwar Range, the then SSP Kishtwar and SHO Police Station Kishtwar.
After hearing Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Parimoksh Seth appearing for the petitioner, Justice Virender Singh directed Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar to file status report regarding investigation conducted till date and also his personal affidavit within two weeks. The order was dictated in the open court.
In the petition, it has been submitted that the petitioner is a retired Subedar from Indian Army. His son Arvind Raj was killed by pumping 17 bullets in his body on August 9, 2013 at Kuleed Chowk, Kishtwar during the communal riots.
“Few days prior to rioting anti-Indian posters were pasted in the town as also the posters of the militants including Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru at different places in the Kishtwar town. There were also posters, which were enticing communal disruption and anti-national feelings”, the petitioner said, adding “the people reported this to the District as well as Police Administration well in time but no remedial steps were taken”.
“On August 9, 2013, immediately after Eid prayers, some people started raising slogans against the country and in favour of Pakistan besides slogans in favour of militants and militancy, which flared the tension but no action was taken by the civil or police administration”, the petitioner said, adding “to the utter dismay of the locals, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, who was MoS Home and supposed to play role in preventing rioting remained inside the Government Guest House till evening. During this time all the police force and para-military personnel did not take any action to stop rioting”.
“It was apparently a deliberate attempt on the part of the respondents to allow the communal riots to take place for their political or other gains and in furtherance of the same entire Government retaliatory machinery was immobilized giving free hand to the rioters to resort to frenzy and communal violence of worst kind targeting the minority community”, the petitioner further said.
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