Rising Kashmir News : Sunday, March 29, 2015.
Army has refused to reply an RTI application relating to the Court Martial in Machil fake encounter case and Court of Inquiry in Pathribal case.
An RTI was filed by Venkatesh Nayak, Programme Coordinator in Access to Information Programme Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative to get documents relating to Court Martial in Machil fake encounter case and the Court of Inquiry into the Pathribal case.
The PIO of the Army rejected the request invoking section 8(1) (h) – impeding investigation, prosecution or arresting offenders.
Nayak said since the two cases have a very large bearing on public interest, namely access to justice, he had sought the records from army.
“I do not know how any of these grounds are attracted in these two cases. The PIO has also not given a reasoned reply explaining what harm would have been caused by disclosing such information,” Nayak said, adding he would appeal against this decision.
Nayak had sought a photocopy of the entire text of the findings of the Court Martial in relation to the conviction of five army personnel in Machil fake encounter case in 2010.
He had also sought a photocopy of the charge sheet filed before the said Court Martial in relation to the case along with a photocopy of the sentence awarded to the convicted army men.
Nayak had also sought a photocopy of all proceedings of the court of inquiry which probed the matter pertaining to killing of five persons in Pathribal at Anantnag district in 2000.
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