New Delhi: The Army has initiated a high-level internal probe into videos that appear to show the torture and deaths of three civilians allegedly in the custody of its troops in Poonch, stating that there will be zero tolerance for any violation of ethos and standard operating practices, ThePrint has learnt.
It is also learnt that the commanders on the ground in the Poonch-Rajouri area are likely to be changed, with fresh faces brought in to ensure a free and fair probe, while operations in the area, which has become the new hotbed of terrorists, will also be beefed up.
The videos, which have gone viral on social media, appear to show men wearing Army uniforms putting red chilli powder on the backs of civilians, while another shows severe beatings. The authenticity of the videos has not been verified.
The bodies of three civilians — Safeer Hussain (43), Mohammad Showket (27) and Shabir Ahmad (32), all residents of Topa Peer village of Bufliaz — who were allegedly among those picked up by the Army were found near the encounter site, while several have been admitted to hospital with injuries.
The deaths and torture videos have already created ripples in Kashmir, which had largely remained quiet till now.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said that certain officers are likely to be sent on compulsory leave. They added that besides the alleged torture and death of civilians at the hands of its men, the series of operational setbacks in the region has been viewed strongly.
“The Army has zero tolerance for any violation of its ethos or standard operating procedures. If there is truth in the videos and allegations that have come out, strict action will be taken,” a source said.
There was a high-level meeting that was held at Army Headquarters and the Defence Ministry Saturday to take stock of the situation and for necessary action, sources said.
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Fixing responsibility
ThePrint was the first to report Saturday that the government had taken serious note of the developments in the Poonch area and the Army was in the process of fixing accountability for any lapses found.
It reported that the tenure of the current Commander of 16 Corps, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, is already ending, and he is scheduled to hand over charge on 1 January.
Officers in command under him include Sector Commander Brigadier P. Acharya, besides the Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Second in Command besides the Company Commander.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said that, while the civilian deaths are part of the probe by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army has also initiated an internal probe.
They added that local commanders in the field at multiple levels are likely to be changed, with fresh faces who have wide and successful experience in counterterrorism operations being brought in.
Soldiers dead in Thursday ambush identified
According to sources, the civilians were picked up by the same formation that had suffered casualties of four soldiers in an ambush by the terrorists Thursday in Poonch.
The Army Sunday finally identified the slain soldiers as Naik Birender Singh, Naik Karan Kumar, Rifleman Gautam Kumar and Rifleman Chandan Kumar.
It is learnt that the bodies of at least two soldiers were mutilated and cremation of the two could be held in the Army establishment only with families present. However, a final decision has not been taken yet.
As reported by ThePrint in November, the Rajouri Poonch area has shown a worrying trend over the past one-and-half years with soldiers getting ambushed by terrorists who seem to be operating freely.
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Poonch-Rajouri terrain poses challenges for Army
The rise in terrorist activities in the area after nearly 15 years is cause for concern for India, with Pakistan seen to be fuelling ambushes in an attempt to worsen the Kashmir problem after the nullification of Article 370.
Sources said that one of the biggest challenges in this area is the hilly terrain with forests spread over 4,304 square kilometres. The Line of Control (LoC) goes through many wide gaps through these border districts, making it an excellent choice for infiltration.
However, the region had fallen silent following Operation ‘Sarp Vinash’ in 2003 when the Army eliminated terrorists who had made bases in the Hilkaka Poonch-Surankote area.
But heightened terror activity witnessed since 2020 with multiple intelligence inputs, including the Army’s, indicate that this area has become a terror spot again.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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