Srinagar: Indian army snatches private vehicles from civilians in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, uses them in fake encounters and destroys them while their owners are often arrested and subjected to inhuman torture in Indian army camps.
As per BBC report, Indian army itself admitted that the soldiers use vehicles of common people for the operations. BBC visited a total 15 villages of Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam and people in these villages said that army camps snatch private vehicles of common people, as when army asks for vehicles, no one can dare to refuse out of fear of reprisals. In 2020, the killing of three labourers labeled by Indian army as ‘dangerous terrorists’ in Amshipura village of Shopian in fake encounter, has been the most talked about fake encounter of recent times.
BBC starts its report from the trial of one Aijaz Ahmad from Shopian, whose car documents are confiscated in the courts. The reason is that his car was used by the army in an ‘encounter’, which after investigation was proven to be fake. BBC read the charge sheet in this case and thus came to know that the car of Ajaz Ahmed was used by the army in the encounter of three labours. People of South Kashmir say that Aijaz Ahmed is not alone victim, the army often takes vehicles of civilians, with many locals alleging that their cars were “forcibly taken away.” Legal documents such as charge sheets and press releases of the army make it clear that the army uses private vehicles of the common people, although in these press conferences and documents they are described as ‘hired vehicles’.
On 2 June 2022, an IED blast took place in a private numbered vehicle in Shopian, in which an Indian army soldier was killed and two people were injured. The Shopian police had said in a statement that the vehicle was hired from a local person. Shopian Superintendent of Police Tanushree said in a press conference, “The private vehicle in which the IED blast took place was hired by the army.” BBC talked to a retired Major General of Indian army and wanted to understand that what the army can use for the common people’s vehicle? On the condition of anonymity, he said, “The army can hire a vehicle of common people. It can be taken for any work. For this, policies were made 20 years ago in the army itself.
But it is important that for every day’s rent should be paid to the owner of the vehicle. The most important thing is that it should not be forced.” Defense Department source also said in a conversation with the BBC that the army uses the vehicles of the common people. However, most of the people said that “this does not happen every time.” BBC says that this story is not confined to just one district but it is the same story of Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam districts of South Kashmir where army takes vehicles from people in the same way. Web Desk
