SRINAGAR, 17 September 2020 (TON): In a hardcore operation, on 17 September 2020, in which beside Indian army troops, personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out joint operation in Batmaloo area, Srinagar. As per the witnesses, four dead bodies were brought at 92 Base hospital. It was also reported that a Kashmiri woman identified as Kounsar Riyaz resident of Batmaloo was also seriously injured and admitted at the same hospital. Indian authorities claimed that the slain Kashmiris were hardcore militants.        

Despite the claims by the Indian authorities that the law and order situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir has improved the things are moving from bad to worse. Few days back, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy while giving statistics at Rajya Sabha, New Delhi about the law and order situation in disputed Jammu and Kashmir State informed the House that since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution from period, 5 August 2019 to 10 September 2020, a total of 45 civilians and 49 security personnel were killed due to militancy-related incidents. He claimed that prior to the abrogation of Article 370 from 29 June 2018 to 4 August 2019, there were the figures were much higher. 

There is no doubt that it has become a routine that Indian Army and security forces kill Kashmiri youth in illegal confinement and extra judicial custody and later pronounce that they are killed in encounters or joint operations.  However, it is a common observation that dead bodies are brought at the site of joint operation and it is later claimed that the killed Kashmiris are militants killed in an encounter.