J&K Admin Making All Efforts To Protect Religious Minorities: High Court Disposes PIL By Kashmiri Pandits Sangarsh Samiti

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Javed Iqbal wani observed that it is in common knowledge that the administration is making all efforts to provide security and protection to the religious minorities in J&K and a robust mechanism is being deployed to avoid targeted killings and to investigate the incidents of all targeted killings.

The bench further noted that the Advocate General has placed a record a note of Special DG, CID, J&K in a sealed cover to contend that all possible care is taken to address all the above issues.

The KPSS is a group of 808 families living in 272 villages of Kashmir which didn't leave the Kashmir Valley even after the height of the militancy in the 1990s. It is headed by a Kashmiri Pandit activist Sanjay Tickoo.

In their plea KPSS had deprecated the alleged insensitivity of the government in not allowing them to leave the valley despite the escalation of violence against their community. The petitioners had also alleged that the Union Territory administration and the Central government failed to secure the life of Religious minorities staying in Kashmir Valley.

While seeking the High Court's indulgence, the Samiti had sought their relocation from Kashmir Valley and the concerned officials of the administration be summoned to explain the policy and mechanism being adopted to safeguard the community. In their plea the petitioners had also sought directions on the respondent administration to investigate all targeted killings that took place since 08.06.2020, to examine the role of all officers involved in it and to suspend them without any delay for negligence on their part.

Disposing of the plea, the bench observed that the petitioner Samiti is at liberty to submit a fresh representation highlighting its grievances before the Secretary, Home, Union Territory of J&K in a comprehensive manner. Once such a memorandum/representation is submitted, the Secretary, Home, will sit with the President of the Samiti or any other nominee of the Samiti so authorized and consider the grievances of the petitioner and after receiving the suggestions, if necessary, may take appropriate remedial steps that may be considered necessary in the overall interest of the Union Territory and the members of the minority community as claimed, the bench concluded

Case Title : Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti v Union Territory of J&K.

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