SRINAGAR, Occupied Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti, the President of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the National Conference, expressed deep concern over the bail granted to an Indian Army officer convicted of the wrongful killing of three innocent Kashmiris in a staged incident back in 2020.
Reportedly, Imtiyaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed, and Mohammed Ibrar, laborers from Rajouri district in the Jammu region, were fatally shot by Indian troops led by Captain Bhoopendra Singh in the Amshipora area of Shopian district on July 18, 2020, falsely labeled as “terrorists.” The Indian Armed Forces Tribunal, situated in New Delhi, suspended the life sentence of Captain Bhoopendra Singh.
Mehbooba Mufti, on X platform (previously Twitter), expressed dismay at the Army officer’s bail, highlighting its profound implications on the integrity of the judicial system. She mentioned her conversation with the father of one victim, profoundly affected by the Army Tribunal’s decision to overturn the Captain’s life sentence despite his admission of guilt.
Emphasizing the disparity in justice, Omar Abdullah addressed a gathering in Tangmarg, Baramulla district, stating that the recurrent message from the Indian government is the devaluation of Kashmiri lives. He expressed surprise at the news of the Army officer’s release after being sentenced to life imprisonment by an army court martial, contrasting it with the plight of Kashmiris unjustly incarcerated without trial.
He further lamented the discrepancy in treatment, citing the dismissal of government employees and demolition of homes on flimsy grounds while an individual convicted of killing three civilians from Rajouri is set free.
In response, the families of the deceased civilians have vowed to challenge the order of the Armed Forces Tribunal.
