The night the soldiers came: Allegations of abuse surface in Kashmir – By Niha Masih, Joanna Slater and Shams Irfan
It was near midnight when the soldiers came for Yassin Bhat. The 25-year-old pulled on some clothes and stepped into the darkness. Nearby, on the main road, he saw dozens of Indian army soldiers, Bhat said. One asked him what he thought about India’s move the day before to revoke Kashmir’s autonomy. Terrified, Bhat replied that it was a good step.
The officer told him not to lie, Bhat recalled, and ordered him to take off his clothes in the middle of the road. Then, he said, the abuse began. Several soldiers held him down while others used thick cables to whip his back and legs. The soldiers then placed on his chest and genitals electrical wires connected to a battery. He remembers being immobilized as the current surged through his body.… Bhat was one of 19 people interviewed by The Washington Post across 13 villages in southern Kashmir who alleged abuses by the armed forces…
The allegations included beatings with rods, sticks and cables, electric shocks and being hung upside down for prolonged periods. In three cases, including Bhat’s, The Post reviewed photos and hospital records detailing the injuries. In six cases, The Post saw either photographs of injuries or hospital records. For many of the cases, The Post also spoke with family members and other witnesses who saw the victims immediately after the alleged abuse.…
SEE ALSO:
- In Kashmir, boys aged 14 and 16 held under dreaded Public Safety Act and sent to Uttar Pradesh jails – By Safwat Zargar (Oct 6, 2019, Scroll.in)
https://amp.scroll.in/article/939516/in-kashmir-boys-aged-14-and-16-held-under-dreaded-public-safety-act-and-sent-to-uttar-pradesh-jails - In Kashmir, Growing Anger and Misery – By Jeffrey Gettleman (Sep 30, 2019, New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/world/asia/Kashmir-lockdown-photos.html - ‘I Don’t Trust You, What The Media Has Done Is Nothing Short of Terrorism’ – By Nikita Jain (Oct 6, 2019, The Citizen)
https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/9/17663/I-Dont-Trust-You-What-The-Media-Has-Done-Is-Nothing-Short-of-Terrorism - Modi Govt Breaking Detention Laws In Kashmir As Thousands Are Jailed – By Betwa Sharma (Oct 2, 2019, Huffington Post)
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/modi-govt-detention-kashmir-thousands-jailed_in_5d935408e4b0e9e760531e94
