JK News Analysis
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has done well by ordering a magisterial inquiry into an alleged encounter that raised more questions than answers , he has established primacy and credibility of the system . It is a statement of the responsive system that LG heads in J&K where innocents are protected and the terrorists punished .
A suspected gun battle in Arhama area of the central district of Kashmir became controversial when the family of the slain Rashid Ahmad Mughal claimed that he was not a militant and had no terror links. This claim was taken up by the leaders in Kashmir as a fit case for probe into the matter.
Two issues were involved in this incident- the family’s charge that innocent has been killed , in what was stated to be a fake encounter, and second what needed to be done to serve justice . This was necessary not only to be fair but also appear to be fair.
LG Manoj Sinha, who has always exhorted that ,” innocent should not be touched and the guilty should not unpunished,” on Friday morning ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident . His declaration was substantiated by an order of the J&K Home Department that set a seven-day- deadline to submit the inquiry report.
Sinha stated on his post on X:” I have ordered a thorough and impartial magisterial inquiry into Arhama , Ganderbal incident. The inquiry wall examine all aspects related to the incident and that justice is served.”
The perspective is clear . The probe has been ordered to bring out the truth behind the whole incident that triggered concerns in political and civil circles which brought the issue of the alleged staged encounters in centre and front. The truth will serve the cause of serving justice . That is the true essence of the probe which has been ordered after LG took cognizance of family’s plea and that of the political leaders Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti included.
A closer look at the probe reveals that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is driven by the intention of bringing probity of the system on the frontline . It met the spoken and unspoken clause of fairness in such incidents and if there were any doubts those were to be cleared by the probe He has met the requirement of national security , because of there is any fault line in such incidents those tend to sow seeds of doubt in otherwise clean operations .
It is not for the first time that LG Sinha has ordered such a probe . and got justice done . About this particular Arhama incident probe , it will all depend on the report and its findings, but way back in 2020 , he had ordered the similar probe and got justice delivered to three families whose members were killed in an established case of staged encounter in Shopian in south Kashmir in July. Though he assumed office in August 2020 but when matter came to his notice , he ordered the probe and when it was established that the encounter was fake, he himself travelled to the village of victims in Rajouri. He walked along the zigzag hills , ignoring the security concerns, and met with the families of the three youth –Abrar Ahmad ,Muhammad Imitiyaz and Mohammad Ibrar. Not only he delivered financial help but also made promise to give government job to one member each of the three families .
LG Sinha’s this step will inspire confidence among all the concerned .
