J&K High Court Disposes Off Petition Seeking Protection Of Minorities.

J&K High Court Disposes Off Petition Seeking Protection Of Minorities.

The Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Friday disposed of a writ petition filed by Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) seeking directions to the Union Territory administration to protect lives of the religious minorities, after a series of targeted attacks.

In the representation, Sanjay Tickoo, president of KPSS had prayed before the Chief Justice of the J&K High Court to pass an order directing the administration to protect the lives of the religious minorities, following a series of targeted attacks on minorities in the month of May 2022.

While disposing of the writ petition, the court left it on the Tickoo 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,” reads the court order, a copy of which lies with Kashmir Observer.

The court refused to intervene into the matter saying that the issue could be resolved at the government level.

“We do not want to enter into the merits of the issues which have been raised by the petitioner Samiti in the representation to this Court and rather considers it appropriate to leave those issues to be considered, negotiated and resolved at the level of the Government in consultation with the representatives of the petitioner Samiti,” the order adds.

Tickoo, who heads KPSS, had prayed before the Chief Justice of the J&K High Court to protect the lives of the religious minorities in the J&K as their lives are at “stake” due to “callous approach of the Union Territory administration.

The body had prayed to summon the concerned officials to explain the policy and mechanism they have devised since 08 June 2020 when Kashmiri Pandit Ajay Pandita (Bharti) was killed in Anantnag District.

It had also appealed to the court to investigate all targeted killings that took place since 08 June 2020 and to examine the role of all officers involved in it and to suspend them without any delay in negligence on their part.

The body had also sought probe in all transfers prior to May12, 2022, which, according to KPSS had been made at the behest of the “blue-eyed persons”

The court however noted 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.

It said that the Advocate General has placed 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.