Jammu & Kashmir

Chattisinghpora and its Aftermath: a Trail of Unlawful Killings in Jammu and Kashmir

Amnesty International is concerned about a complex series of events in Jammu & Kashmir, India. The case is actually a combination of several related incidents, each of which involves a unique combination of agents, concerns, and recommended responses. Here is an outline of the situation’s history:

• Thirty-four Sikh men were killed by unidentified persons in the village of Chattisinghpora on March 20, 2000. Two who were wounded died later. This was the first time that members of the Sikh religion were targeted in the ongoing tension between Pakistan (predominantly Muslim) and India (predominantly Hindu) over Jammu and Kashmir. Historically, the Muslim and Sikh communities have lived in harmony. No group claimed responsibility for the deaths of the 36 Sikh men. Suggestions of those responsible have included Islamic militants, the Pakistan Army, and the Indian Army. Some of the gunmen wore Indian army uniforms. A unit of the Rashtriya Rifles (Indian Army) stationed nearby did not intervene but visited the village the next morning.
• On March 25, 2000, at nearby Panchaltan, security police detained 17 men they claimed were the perpetrators of the attack on the Sikhs. They later released 12 of the 17, executing the remaining 5 without a trial. People in the area claimed that the 5 men were innocent.
• Following the extrajudicial executions of the 5 civilians at Panchaltan, protestors organized a march at Brakpora on April 3, 2000, asking for exhumation of the men’s bodies for return to their families. Police fired on the protestors, killing 7 persons.
• The deaths in Brakpora were investigated by a commission led by retired Supreme Court Justice Pandian, who was so moved by the testimony that he divided his fee among the families of the victims. The Pandian Commission recommended that murder charges be brought against members of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Special Operations Group who fired on and killed 7 people during the march at Brakpora. The then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, did not implement these recommendations, although publicly promising to do so.
• The bodies of the 5 men executed at Panchaltan were exhumed in order to get DNA samples, which were sent to a laboratory for testing. Results were not released, reportedly because the government of Jammu and Kashmir refused to pay the fees. Later charges claimed that the DNA samples tested were tampered with and not necessarily taken from the bodies of the victims.
• Former Chief Minister Muhammed Sayeed, after assuming office in 2002, appointed a ministerial subcommittee to investigate the charges regarding the DNA samples. In July 2003, the Cabinet accepted the recommendations of the subcommittee to "severely punish" 3 police officers and 2 doctors for tampering with the DNA samples.

This series of events raises several concerns - Determining who is responsible for the original massacre of 36 men and bringing them to justice, Bringing to justice the security police who executed 5 innocent men denied a trial, and implementing the Pandian Commission’s recommendation to pursue murder charges related to the killing of seven protesters at Brakpora.

Take Action!

We welcome anyone with interest in this case and protecting human rights to join our efforts. Below are some files for you to use to take action on this case. The PDF files are formatted for easy printing, but can’t be altered. PDF files can be viewed with Adobe Reader (formerly called Acrobat Reader). Most computers have Adobe Reader already installed, and Macintosh OS X systems can view PDF files automatically. If you do need Adobe Reader, you can download it for free at Adobe’s Adobe Reader Download Page.

jk_sample_letter.txt - This file contains sample letter language in plain text. Copy the text from your browser window or save it on your computer for later use as a starting point for your own letter.

jk_sample_letter.pdf - This sample letter is already formatted, ready to print, sign and send. If you don’t have time to write a letter in your own words, use this.

jk_petition_singh.pdf - This petition addressed to Indian Prime Minister Singh is formatted for easy printing. Take copies to work or school, or anywhere you can collect signatures.

jk_petition_singh.txt - This file contains the petition language addressed to Indian Prime Minister Singh as plain text. Use it to design your own petition.

jk_petition.pdf - This petition is addressed to Jammu/Kashmir Chief Minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad. It is formatted for easy printing. Take copies to work or school, or anywhere you can collect signatures.

jk_petition.txt - This file contains the petition language addressed to Chief Minister Azad as plain text. Use it to design your own petition.

More Actions!

As in any democracy, the press in India can play an important role in promoting accountability in government officials. Please consider writing a letter to the editor to any of the following Indian newspapers. In your letter, outline the basics of the case and urge to government to take concrete steps to address the human rights and legal concerns raised.

The Hindustan Times
The Editor
The Hindustan Times
18/20 Kasturba Gandhi
Marg
New Delhi 110 001
India
e-mail via their website

The Times of India
The Editor
The Times of India
7 Bahadur Shar Zafar
Marg
New Delhi 110 002
India
e-mail via their website

The Kashmir Times
Prabodh Jamwal
Editor-in-Chief
The Kashmir Times
Residency Road
Jammu
Jammu & Kashmir
India
e-mail via the "contact us" link at the top of their web site.

The Kashmir Observer
Publisher & Editor
Sajjad Haider
14 B Rajbagh
Srinagar
Kashmir
India
e-mail via their website

Still More Actions!

Several different agencies and departments at a variety of levels of government may be concerned with particular aspects of this series of events. After taking the actions above, please consider writing letters directed to some of the officials below outlining your concerns about these incidents.

President of India

His Excellency Dr. Abdul Kalam
Office of the President
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi 110 004
Salutation: Dear President

Cabinet Ministers

Minister of Home Affairs
Mr. Shivraj V. Patil
Ministry of Home Affairs
Room No. 104
North Block
New Delhi 110 001
Salutation: Dear Minister

Minister of Defence
Mr. A. K. Antony
Ministry of Defence
Room N. 104
South Block
New Delhi 110 001
Salutation: Dear Minister

Minister of State for Labour & Employment
Mr. Oscar Fernandes
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Room No. 120, 'A' Wing
Shram Shakti Bhavan
New Delhi
Salutation: Dear Minister

Minister of Law & Justice
Mr. H.R. Bhardwaj
Ministry of Law & Justice
Room No. 410, 'A' Wing
Shastri Bhavan
New Delhi
Salutation: Dear Minister

Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment
Smt. Mira Kumar
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Room No. 202, C-Wing
Shastri Bhawan
New Delhi
Salutation: Dear Minister

Minister of Health & Family Welfare
Dr. Anbumani Ramdoss
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Room No. 150-A
Nirman Bhavan
New Delhi
Salutation: Dear Minister

Government of Jammu & Kashmir

Governor
Lt. Gen. (Retd.) S.K. Sinha, PVSM
Office of the Governor
Raj Bhavan
Shrinagar
Jammu 180001
Salutation: Dear Governor

Chief Secretary
Mr. Vijay Bakaya
Office of the Chief Secretary
Raj Bhavan
Shrinagar
Jammu 180001
Salutation: Dear Chief Secretary

Minister of State for Law
Mr. Muzzaffer Hussain Beigh
Minister of State for Law
Government of Jammu & Kashmir
Shrinagar
Jammu
Salutation: Dear Minister

Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir
Honourable Shri Justice B. A. Khan
Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir
Office of the Chief Justice
High Court Complex
Shrinagar
Jammu
Salutation: Dear Chief Justice

Director General of Police
Mr. Gopal Sharma
Office of the DGP
Police Headquarters
Shrinagar
Jammu
Salutation: Dear Director General

Human Rights Commissions

Chairperson, Jammu & Kashmir Human Rights Commission
Justice Shri Ali Mohammad Mir
Jammu & Kashmir Human Rights Commission
Dawn Building
Dalgate
Shrinagar 119001
Jammu
Salutation: Dear Justice Mir

Acting Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission
Dr. Justice Shivraj V. Patil
National Human Rights Commission
Sardar Patel Bhavan
Sansad Marg
New Delhi
110 001
Salutation: Dear Justice Patil

Get More Involved!

If you are interested in learning more about this case or joining our sub-group devoted to the issue, please contact us. (You can add a note about your interest in this case specifically in the contact form’s Interests and Concerns area.) We will contact you with details about how you can get more involved.

We also discuss this case regularly at our monthly meetings. Feel free to attend to learn more!

Amnesty Reports (external links)

India - Amnesty International’s Country Report summarizing human rights concerns in India

Media coverage of this Issue

The Indian media has covered the incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. Below are links to some of the press this situation has garnered in India.

This Tribune of India story on the village of Chattisinghpora, from October 2003, takes a look at the village three and a half years after the massacre that occurred there.