Not averse to compensating victims: J&K

The government, however, sought time to make a decision.

In a first acknowledgement of the mass rape at Konan Poshpora, the J&K government on Tuesday informed the High Court that it is not averse to compensating the victims. The government, however, sought time to make a decision.

J&K Additional Advocate General Riyaz Khan informed the court that “in principle, the government is not averse to compensate” the victims of the alleged mass rape. The decision to compensate the victims was taken during a high-level meeting that was attended by Director General of Police K Rajendra, Principal Secretary Home Suresh Kumar and Inspector General (IG) CID Balaji Srinivasan.

“We have in principle agreed to compensate the victims as per the SHRC recommendations,” Khan told The Indian Express. “The decision was taken at a high-level meeting”. The Additional Advocate General, however, informed the court that the government will only compensate 23 victims whose names figured in the FIR.

After the court junked the Army’s revision plea in the Konan Poshpora case, the government’s decision to compensate the victims is the second significant development in the 23-year-old case.

Human rights activists in the Valley see the government’s decision as an “acknowledgement of the crime”. “In a mild and subtle way, it is an acknowledgement of the existence of crime,” said Khurram Parvez, coordinator of Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil society, a human rights group that is pursuing the case on behalf of the victims. “But by making this announcement, the government wants to entrap the victims into the compensation business,” he added.

Last week, a local court in Kupwara dismissed the revision petition filed by the Army seeking an end to further investigation ordered by the court in the case. The court observed that “crime never dies” and said the Army’s revision petition has no merits.

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. Expertise and Experience Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development. Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor. Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans: Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance. Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population. Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley. Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More

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