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Journalism of Courage
Even an Army Major faces court martial proceedings for the rape of a woman and her 10-year-old daughter at Handwara, another incident of alleged rape by Army personnel was reported from the Chief Minister’s constituency of Pahalgam last night.
The residents of Gujjar village took to the streets this morning, protesting the alleged rape of 60-year-old Hakeem Jan by a trooper of 3 Rashtriya Rifles. Police have registered an FIR against the trooper and begun investigations, said IG, Kashmir, Javaid Mukhdoomi. He said, ‘‘preliminary medical examinations negate rape. But since we have received a complaint, an FIR has been lodged.’’
The Defence spokesman in Srinagar also denied the charge. ‘‘The medical report conducted on the woman says no rape took place,’’ said Lt Col V. K. Batra, PRO for the 15 Corps. ‘‘But we have launched joint investigations with police to ascertain if there was any misbehaviour,’’ he said. ‘‘We think there has been a deliberate attempt to malign the reputation of the Army.’’
But eyewitnesses in this remote village, say two RR jawans barged into the house of Mohammad Sadiq Shah on Sunday evening. Shah and his four sons — three of them deaf and dumb — were preparing dinner at that time.
‘‘We were sitting in the kitchen when the front door was flung open. As my husband got up and held a lantern towards the door, a person kicked it. He and two of my sons were pushed into the kitchen, while another son was locked in the adjacent room. They then dragged me to a room and raped me. I was half-conscious when my husband and sons carried me to the police station and later to the hospital,’’ Jan said.
Her elder son Farooq Ahmad, who lives with his wife in the same compound, said: ‘‘It was dark and my wife was filling water when the two Armymen called her. She ran towards the house and informed me. I came out and asked them to identify themselves, but they hid their faces. I pulled off the cloth from their faces and saw they were the men from the neighbouring RR camp who often came to collect firewood with the patrol party.’’
‘‘When they threatened to beat me, my kids cried out. This prompted the two to rush towards my father’s house,’’ he added. ‘‘They said they were looking for a local militant, Munawar,’’ Jan said.
Her husband alleged that the Army has offered them bribe to take back his complaint. ‘‘The officer of the camp is offering Rs 30,000-40,000 to change my statement. But how can I sell my wife’s honour,’’ asks Shah.
This is the third rape allegation against Army personnel in Kashmir in two months. Last month, a 19-year-old alleged she was gangraped by Army personnel in Anantnag on November 4. Two days later, a woman and her daughter were allegedly raped by an Army major in Kupwara district.
