Innocence Crumpled: A Tale From The Dark Side
By Haziq Qadri
26 October, 2012
Countercurrents.org
She was tortured and humiliated at the age of fifteen inside a police station. Her respect compromised and her coming life shattered, Haseena, 23, reveals her struggle with the life after she was arrested and then tortured in custody.
Haseena, then 15, like every other girl of her age dreamt of becoming a doctor or an engineer but never had she known about the dark future awaiting her in coming days. In September 2004 it all changed and left her devastated for the life ahead. Haseena at the age of 15 was picked up by the police from her school and then taken to Zachildara police station by two women constables who later accused her of helping some unidentified gunmen involved in the killing of a CRPF personnel. On that day Haseena was in her school when the police came and took her from her institution without telling anything about the crime she never had committed. "They took permission from my school Headmaster that they will take me to police station for few minutes and will leave me in twenty minutes." Haseena said. Narrating that woeful incident, Haseena said that she was constantly pleading her innocence but they were not listening to her.
"They alleged me of being in connivance in a person namely Mushtaq's murder who was working with CRPF for last nine years. They kept torturing me and I kept refusing. Lady Constables Parveena and Haleema interrogated me severely. The then Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the concerned police station arrived later and ordered both the policewomen to leave the room." said Haseena. Haseena said that police tried to make me a Scapegoat for Mushtaq's murder, as they were unable to trace the real culprits behind that murder. "Police was trying their best that I should accept the charges which were leveled against me in which they said that I helped some militants in killing oa CRPF man."
Haseena alleged that police gapped her mouth and tied her hands with a chair and started beating her. "I was refusing to the allegations made by the police and I was repeatedly pleading for my innocence but they kept on torturing me". Haseena also alleged that the DSP Altaf Khan started tearing off her clothes and beating her severely and when When i asked for water, i was given with salty and chilly water. They behaved like animals "He started tearing off my clothes, I resisted, but he again called in the women constables who tightened my hands with chair and started beating me mercilessly. I begged to them that I don't have any hand in the murder of CRPF man but they didn't listen to me and continued to beat me till I felt unconscious".
The life of girl was shattered by the interrogation by police officials which includes the senior official of police also. "When the women constables were tired by beating me then DSP Altaf khan came and closed the door. Khan said whatever I will ask give me the right answers. But he was trying that I should accept the charges against me," Haseena said adding that then she spit on his face after which Khan kicked her in her private parts.
Due to kick on her Private parts Haseena suffered internal injuries and was taken to Handwara hospital where from she was referred to JVC Bemina. Meanwhile, police registered an FIR against the girl for murdering a CRPF man. "They registered a case against my daughter but I fought against that in the court and court of justice set free my daughter from all allegations leveled by the police," Father of Haseena said.Haseena recently underwent a surgery; she says her appendix was ruptured right at that moment. Loss of blood that day and further for eight months has spoiled her dream to have a baby. Her uterus has got affected because of that injury due to the hit. She was married twice and both times she got divorce only because her in-laws came to know the reality that Haseena can't be a mother.
"My husband and in-laws also abused me and my family. They always taunted me by saying that, I was in a lock-up and was raped and now cannot deliver a baby as my Uterus has been removed" Haseena said. "Nothing such was happened with me. When I was fed up with all this I gave my In-laws money to give divorce to me. I couldn't tolerate all that". When contacted SP Altaf Khan, he denied torturing her. He called it a baseless Allegation. SP Khan, however, told that he doesn't know anything about the incident or subsequent SHRC's role. "I don't know anything about any such case. Even I can say that I am being raped by someone. Does that make any one guilty? These are only allegations and I have nothing to do with it" Khan said
However, the SHRC decision that came on November 19, 2008, indicts SP Khan. It reads, "The commission is therefore satisfied that the petitioner had met the worst type of human rights violations at the hands of two lady constables and Dy. SP Altaf Ahmad Khan. And this occurrence is reported to have taken place in July 2004." After the incident life was never so easy for Haseena. From taunts to abuses, she faced everything and still wonders why she went through all this for the crime she never had committed. "I still don't understand why did i went through all this. I was innocent but a monster came and ruined my life. My life has changed forever." Pertinently SP Altaf Khan is recipient of the President's Police Medal for Gallantry this year.
Courtesy : http://thevoxkashmir.com/
Haziq Qadri Is a freelance journalist from Kashmir.
Comments are moderated
