By Gafira Qadir
In a landmark ruling, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has issued strong criticism of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) assigned to investigate the 1996 custodial killing of a Kashmiri civilian. This critical intervention follows nearly three decades of relentless efforts by Jameela Begum, a widow who has sought justice for her husband, Mohammad Ramzan Bhat, who was allegedly abducted and killed by police personnel on May 31, 1996.
The High Court, in its recent judgment, ordered the replacement of the SIT head overseeing the case, underscoring dissatisfaction with the investigation’s pace and integrity. This decision comes almost three decades after the incident, a painful chapter for the Bhat family that remains unresolved. The petition filed by Jameela challenges an April 30, 2022, order from the Judicial Magistrate in Srinagar, which directed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to replace the current SIT head, SP North, with a higher-ranked officer or a new SP, due to dissatisfaction with the investigation’s handling.
Sources told Maktoob that Hilal Khaliq Bhat, SP Hazratbal is appointed as the new head of the SIT.
In the ruling, Justice Sanjay Dhar noted, “A perusal of the Case Diary reveals that the investigation directed by the learned Magistrate in terms of Section 202 of the J&K Cr. P. C is going on at a snail’s pace. While law and order and other official duties may be important for the members of the investigating agency, that does not justify the SIT dragging its feet in the matter for more than three years since it was constituted on 28.10.2021. This Court shares the concern and anxiety of the learned Magistrate so far as it relates to the investigation’s conduct by the SIT.”
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
