Kulgam: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah criticized the release on bail of an Army captain convicted in the 2020 Amshipora fake encounter case during a general court-martial. Abdullah urged the Govt of India not to undermine the value of local lives, expressing concern that a person found guilty of murder was granted bail so readily.
Captain Bhoopendra Singh, sentenced to life for a staged encounter in Amshipora, had his sentence suspended by the armed forces tribunal in Delhi, which also granted him conditional bail.
Abdullah raised questions about the disparate treatment, underlining the prolonged denial of bail for those facing minor charges compared to the release of an army officer convicted of murder by a military court.
Addressing the delay in elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah expressed hope that the Supreme Court's decision on Article 370 petitions would address the electoral issue.
He emphasized concerns about unprecedented power cuts in Kashmir, questioning the government's handling of the electricity supply despite claims of ample funds.
“I want to appeal to the Centre not to play with the people here. Do not make the people here think that our blood is so cheap that a person found guilty of murder is enlarged on bail so easily,”
Abdullah told reporters in reply to a query on the issue The armed forces tribunal in Delhi has suspended the life sentence of Captain Bhoopendra Singh who was found guilty of killing three men in a “staged” encounter in south Kashmir’s Amshipora village in July 2020.
The tribunal also granted conditional bail to him and directed him to appear before its principal registrar on the first Monday of every month starting from January next year
“Those arrested on minor charges do not get bail for years. On the other hand, an army officer who was, not by a civilian court but by army court-martial, convicted on murder charges, in a fake encounter.. got bail,” the former chief minister told reporters at Kulgam in south Kashmir.
On the “delay” in holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said he was hopeful that the Supreme Court will decide on the polls as well when the apex court gives the verdict on the Article 370 petitions.
“We are hopeful that the Supreme Court judgement on Article 370 petitions would also make a mention of the elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“When Panthers Party moved an application in the Supreme Court for holding elections, the Chief Justice at that time had said that this issue is connected with Article 370 and would be decided at that time,” he added.
Abdullah expressed concern over the electricity supply situation in Kashmir, claiming the power cuts being faced by the people were unprecedented.
“We are getting cheated in the name of elections, in the name of ending unemployment, in the name of development and in the name of electricity. What is the reason that the electricity system cannot be set right?
“The situation was not this bad during our tenure. Today, they say they have ample funds. Why don’t they make arrangements for electricity then? Why are people facing up to 12 hours of power cuts?” he asked.