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Rapes by soldiers and officials

Sir: The Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir home ministry informed the state legislature that there were more cases of rapes and molestations of women registered against the security forces and the police than ordinary criminals. The trend is exhibited by the statistics offered for both Kashmir and Jammu. The state government said it had registered 5,125 cases of rapes; 2,601 in Kashmir and 2,524 in Jammu between 1989 and 2003. In the same period, 14,953 cases of molestation were registered, 12,215 in Kashmir and 2,738 in Jammu province. While the Indian security forces have to their ‘name’ 70 rape cases (41 in Kashmir and 29 in Jammu), they have 55 cases of molestation (44 in Kashmir and 11 in Jammu). Police have 59 rape cases against their personnel (15 in Kashmir and 44 in Jammu) and 34 in molestation cases (12 in Kashmir and 22 in Jammu). There are seven cases of rape registered against militants, four in Kashmir and three in Jammu, besides three cases of molestation, including two in Jammu. Most of these crimes are registered against others, indicating they are civilians.

There are 14,861 cases of molestation, 12,158 in Kashmir and 2,793 in Jammu. The number of rapes against the civilian population was 4,986, which included 2,540 in Kashmir and 2,446 in Jammu. As far as the disposal of the cases is concerned, the government said, in its response to the lawmaker Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, that 664 rape allegations and 782 molestations registered between 1989 and 2003 were not admitted at all. Cases not admitted were of 65 rapes and 115 molestations. While 159 rape cases and 557 molestation cases are under investigation, the total number of cases challenged before the courts include 4,237 rapes and 13,499 molestation cases. Conviction has taken place in only 579 cases.

ALYA ALVI
Rawalpindi

Daily Times