SrinagarThe Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday suggested creation of specialized crime teams to unravel ‘modus operandi’ of those behind braid chopping incidents in the state even as it came down heavy on police for its investigation so far.
As the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation started, the government informed a Division Bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey that 153 incidents of braid chopping have been reported in the Valley hitherto. It said lack of cooperation by victims with police was proving unhelpful to unravel the mystery.
After perusing the state’s status report, the court observed that the investigators, it appears have not been using their brains.
If they would have, then so far somebody behind this mysterious braid chopping would have been caught by them, the court said, underling that that police can always summon a person for collecting the evidence and record statement.
The court suggested police to constitute and depute specialized crime teams to the spot so that the exact ‘modus operandi’ of the perpetrators behind braid chopping was derived.
Amid a spike in the braid chopping incidents, the High Court on October 13 had directed authorities to carry crime mapping regarding all the incidents which have taken place in the state.
The court has already directed the State to ensure that there was proper patrolling, nakas, night surveillance by the police who shall also take other preventive measures so as to prevent braid chopping incidents in future.
The PIL, filed by two lawyers, Hilal Akbar Akbar Lone and Masarat Kawsar, both residents of north Kashmir, has been posted for further consideration on October 25.
They have sought directions to the government to investigate each and every case particularly where the braid choppers have been rescued by the government forces and have not been brought before any court of law.
They also sought directions to the government to submit the status report of the cases if investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) so for. Else, an explanation may be sought from the SIT and other concerned investigation agencies for not taking any concrete step in the braid chopping incidents, they said.
The lawyers also urged the court to direct the government to take concrete and efficient steps to eradicate the menace of braid chopping.
They said that the women in the state have been subjected to novel kind of physical violence of braid chopping which is alarmingly and unabatedly rising day in and day out, giving sleepless nights to them and their families.
The situation has risen to such a level where the male members prefer to stay put in order to provide security and guard to women, they said, and underlined that the Special Investigation Teams, constituted for the carrying out the investigation into the incidents, have shown dismal performance.
The government has not taken any step to put an end to this novel kind of menace, which is eating into the vitals of the peace and tranquillity. The state of J&K particularly Kashmir Valley is already struggling to come out of the fear psychosis of insecurity largely attributable to the prevalent situation but the incidents of braid chopping has made the women folk more venerable.
The frequent and unabated incidents, they said, have resulted in public outcry, demanding the immediate action by arresting those behind these incidents. The government is bound to restore faith and trust of the people particularly the women folk including the school and collage going girls who has stopped going to educational instructions.
They said that the government needs to get its act together and handle the cases with sensitivity and empathy.
Each and every case needs to be thoroughly investigated particularly some incidents were the braid choppers have been caught red handed and handed over to police and in some cases the police and the army have saved them and set them free later without any investigation, they said, adding, the role of the police and army is becoming doubtful in respect of the incidents. The public has lost faith in the police and therefore there is clamour for carrying out the investigation by the (SIT) under the supervision of the Court, they added.
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