The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today disposed off a public interest litigation in connection with the killing of 117 persons during the 2010 summer agitation in the Valley, directing the police to complete the investigation into the related cases within eight weeks.
"The respondents admittedly have registered 37 cases regarding 117 killings in question. In a few cases, the investigation has been concluded and charge sheet laid before the competent court.
"Let the investigation in other cases be completed within eight weeks and result of such investigation placed before the competent court," a division bench of the Court said in its order.
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The bench, comprising Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Hasnain Masoodi, also directed that the respondents shall register cases wherever the report is lodged bu FIR has not been registered for one reason or the other.
The HC directed presenting of the results of such investigations before the competent court by November 30 this year.
"The matter against the above backdrop does not warrant any further proceedings and is accordingly closed," the bench said.
The court noted that the Centre, taking note of the colossal loss suffered by the affected families, stepped in and took a policy decision to pay Rs five lakh to each of the affected families.
"This ordinarily should have ended the matter. However, public grievances survived as some of the affected families were left out of the relief package by arbitrarily fixing the date of death for entitlement to relief package," the court observed, the Court said after it was pointed out to the counsel for the central government that a decision was taken and ex gratia of Rs six lakh paid to all affected families listed in the petition.
"The decision taken by the respondents therefore substantially redresses the grievances set out in the petition," it added.
