‘Capt Kohli died as he tried to blow lid off fake encounter’
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service
Jammu, September 17
No job, no compensation, not even an apology, forget justice. This is the fate of families of four labourers, who were allegedly killed in a “fake encounter” in Lolab in Kupwara in 2004. Their case is directly linked to the mysterious death of Capt Sumit Kohli of Chandigarh as the latter was the duty officer at the time of the encounter. These families live in poverty, with no politician coming forward to apply balm on their wounds.
“We spurned the offer of Rs 5 lakh to keep our mouths shut. Had we taken the money, our children would not have been forced to leave school to earn a livelihood,” rues 1971 Indo-Pak war veteran, Madan Lal, father of Bhushan Lal, one of the four dead labourers.
On April 12, 2004, Bhushan Lal along with Ram Lal, Satpal and Ashok Kumar were hired by an Army officer and taken to Kupwara with a promise of giving them a job.
The joy of getting good employment was short-lived. Few days later, the labourers were allegedly killed in a fake encounter. Captain Sumit Kohli of 18 Rashtriya Rifles in Lolab in north Kashmir was the duty officer at that time. The families say they came to know about the encounter through an anonymous letter, which they received one-a-half years after the incident. The letter gave details of the alleged fake encounter and names of 11 Army men.
The families protested and staged dharnas following which a Court of Inquiry was ordered. The Army maintained that the bodies were not of the labourers. It said two Kashmiri families had claimed two bodies and got the compensation too.
Few weeks after getting the letter, the family came to know about Capt Kohli’s death under mysterious circumstances with the Army claiming that he committed suicide.
Madan Lal says he was shocked to see the picture of Capt Kohli in newspapers. He said Capt Kohli had told them after the CoI that “the man who wrote a letter to you exposing the killing of four labourers will ensure that you get justice.”
Even as the Defence Minister AK Antony last week announced a fresh probe into Capt Kohli’s death, the aggrieved family members don’t see any ray of hope.
“We have been through such inquiries by the Army. They will never expose their men. We want a CBI inquiry,” claimed Madan Lal. “Capt Kohli died because he tried to blow the lid off the fake counter. But apart from him, we didn’t get support from any corner,” said a bitter Bali Ram.
Army’s take
“It was an actual operation, which has been dubbed as a fake encounter by some anonymous letters. Still, Army authorities carried out a high-level inquiry that revealed that there was no truth in the allegations made by the letters.”
Col Rahul Pandey, CO of the 18 RR at the time of the encounter, and an accused named in the letters.
Govt’s view
“I am trying my best to get compensation for the families. However, it is a sensitive matter concerning the Army and not much can be done till the fake encounter is proved. I have already asked the Army to give me details of what happened to the labourers. I am awaiting a reply.”
Raman Bhalla, Minister for Relief, Revenue and Rehabilitation
published in The Tribune, sept 18, 2010
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