Members of VDCs among those booked for Kishtwar clashes: J&K

Jammu and Kashmir government today said chargesheet has been filed against accused persons, including some members of Village Defence Committees (VDCs), in cases related to the communal clashes that took place in Kishtwar district in August this year.
"FIR number 16/2013 and 17/2013 have been registered in Police Station Atholi and investigations taken up to probe the role of the accused persons including some VDC members.
"After completing all the necessary formalities, charge sheet in the case FIR number 16/2013 has been produced in the court of law on September 25 against eight accused persons, out of whom four (including VDC members) have been arrested so far and the remaining four persons are absconding," Minister for Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar said.

Replying to a Calling Attention Notice by PDP MLC Naeem Akhtar, Sagar said six accused persons who have been named in the case FIR number 17/2013 are also absconding.
"Serious efforts are being made to arrest the remaining accused. The investigation of the case is in progress and the case will be charge sheeted after the arrest of the accused persons," he said.
The minister said that VDCs members do not enjoy any immunity under the law and informed that 49 complaints have been received against them from different districts of Jammu division and investigations are on in such cases.

"The members of the VDCs do not enjoy any special privilege or immunity under law and action in accordance with relevant provisions of law in taken against them in case they are found to indulge in unlawful activities," he said.
Many social and political organisations, including separatist outfits, have been demanding disbanding of VDCs in the wake of communal clashes that started on August 9 - the Eid day - in Kishtwar and left three persons dead.