Mehbooba Mufti demands Rs 50 lakh compensation, jobs for kin of civilians killed in Poonch
Poonch/Jammu (PTI): PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Sunday demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, a government job and a residential plot for the families of three civilians who were found dead a day after being picked by the security forces following a terrorist ambush on two Army vehicles.
Mufti alleged that despite visits by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande no action has been taken to deliver justice to the victims.
"I urge the Lieutenant Governor to ask the defence minister to provide a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, a government job, and a roadside plot to the next of kin of the slain civilians. Injured individuals should be given Rs 5 lakh compensation," Mufti told reporters.
She demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
The three civilians picked up by the Army for questioning after the terrorist ambushed two Army vehicles on December 21 in Poonch were found dead Friday last week.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has announced monetary compensation and jobs to the families. It said the medico-legal formalities were conducted and legal action on the matter has been initiated.
The Army has ordered a thorough internal investigation into the civilian deaths and said it is committed to extending full support and cooperation in the conduct of the investigation.
Mufti questioned the ongoing inquiry. "We have seen the fate of probe reports in past incidents. Following the inquiry report of three youths killed by the Army in Rajouri, the officers admitted to fake killings but were let off. What probe will you do in this?" she questioned.
Mufti pointed out that an FIR was lodged against unknown persons in the latest case. "People are identifying police and army personnel, so how can they be unknown? If you don't punish the culprits, you are promoting the criminalisation of the system. How can justice be served?" she alleged.
Mufti also said she was disallowed from meeting the affected families and the injured people, despite attempts.
"I tried to visit them. I was put under house arrest. Later, I was told you can go, as BJP J&K chief Ravinder Raina and NC leadership were allowed to the area. But they prevented me from going there. They wanted to hide atrocities committed on them. I wanted to visit hospital to meet the injured. Then I wanted to visit Bangie from where these people were picked up. I was prevented from moving forward on the pretext of search operation," she said.
She stressed the need for empathetic engagement with the affected families and open dialogue to effectively resolve grievances.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Nitish Kumar's son Nishant among 32 to take oath as Bihar ministers
Patna (PTI): In a major expansion of the Cabinet of Bihar's first BJP-led government, JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar and 31 others took oath as ministers on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Altogether 32 leaders, drawn from all constituents of the five-party NDA in the state, were administered the oath of office by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at a grand ceremony that was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister J P Nadda and BJP president Nitin Nabin.
Prominent inductees included Nishant Kumar, the son of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who stepped down as chief minister last month to enter the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP, which is the single largest party in the 243-member assembly with 89 MLAs, has 15 ministers, who took oath on Thursday.
Most of the inductees were those who were part of the Nitish Kumar cabinet formed in November last year after the NDA stormed back to power in the assembly polls.
The JD(U) is represented by a total of 15 ministers, 13 of whom took the oath at the Gandhi Maidan on Thursday. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav had taken oath in April along with Samrat Choudhary and were designated as deputy chief ministers.
Sanjay Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar Paswan, both from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, are back as ministers, and so are Santosh Kumar Suman and Deepak Prakash, sons of Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, respectively.
