Unmarked Mass Graves: Police submit fresh list to SHRC

Srinagar, Apr 02: Police has submitted a fresh list of unmarked graves found across the Kashmir valley to State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and exercise of counting of such graves had been carried out under an “Internal Administrative Order (IAO).” Under the preview of the order, all the district Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs) were directed by their higher ups to find out the details ad number of the unmarked graves in their respective districts. The order was passed soon after expose by the investigating wing of SHRC that there are 2156 unidentified bodies buried at 38 sites in Jammu and Kashmir. The expose created uproar in political, human rights and civil society circles. Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khoda told Greater Kashmir that a fresh list of unmarked graves has been submitted to SHRC. “Counting of such graves was carried out throughout the Valley. We have submitted the fresh list to SHRC,” DGP said. However he did not divulge the exact number of graves found across the Kashmir valley. In Baramulla district of north Kashmir, 421 such graves have been found. A senior police official from Baramulla told Greater Kashmir on the basis of anonymity that they carried out the documentation of mass graves in border town of Uri, Bijhama, Sheeri, Pattan, Gulmarg and Boniyar areas of the district. “Our investigating teams found a total number of 421 unidentified persons buried in these unmarked graves,” the police officer said adding that the teams also found the graves 523 identified militants in these areas. If reports are to be believed, the cops have been seen visiting graveyards in the rural areas before the last snowfall and they were trying to ascertain the facts about marked and unmarked graves. The exercise according to police sources was carried out jointly by the cops of respective police stations in their areas and CID people. The exercise has also been carried out in frontier district of Kupwara and Bandipora. In Kupwara district, there are reportedly many such graveyards where identified and unidentified militants are buried. One in Lolab area of Kalaroos and other in Kralopra are said to be biggest ones. On number third is a graveyard in Handwara town. According to sources, in Kalaroos most militants killed in encounters at LoC in Machil sector were being buried. While as at Kralpora graveyard those killed in Keran and Chowkibal sectors of LoC were buried. All these areas are claimed to be strategic from infiltration point of view.