SRINAGAR: Three days after the death of at least three Kashmiri civilians after being tortured in the custody of Indian forces whose video leak sparked outrage in the disputed region, a military official said on Monday that the Indian army launched an investigation into the incident and moved senior officers from the disputed area, though the defence spokesperson claimed he was unaware of any inquiry.

Residents in the area said that the civilians had been detained for questioning after an alleged attack on Indian army vehicles on Thursday, killing four soldiers.A purported video clip showing Indian personnel stripping three men and sprinkling chili powder on them has gone viral on social media, causing widespread outrage in the region.

The inquiry was ordered as a result of the civilians’ deaths, said the official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Indian army chief Manoj Pande visited Poonch on Monday to review the operational preparedness of the troops, said defence spokesperson Suneel Bartwal. “I have no knowledge about the inquiry ordered into deaths of civilians in Poonch,” he said.

Military official also says senior officers moved out of disputed area; defence spokesperson expresses ignorance of inquiry

Pakistan “strongly condemns” the deaths of the civilians, its foreign ministry said in a statement, calling for the people responsible to be held to account.

Mohammad Sidiq, councillor of Topa Pir village, said nine people, including his 26-year-old shepherd nephew, were picked up by Indian troops on Friday for questioning.

“One of them was let off and eight others were tortured, and three, including my nephew Shoukat Ahmad, were killed,” he said.

Mr Sidiq said the people tortured in the video were the men found dead near the ambush site. “Where is the law and where is the justice? I even get death threats for raising my voice against these three deaths,” Sidiq said.

Authorities cut off internet services on smart devices in Poonch and Rajouri on Saturday morning, a common tactic to dispel possible protests and discourage dissemination of the videos, AP reported.

On Sunday, Pakistan strongly condemned the barbaric custodial killing of the Kashmiri civilians in Baffliaz, Poonch district.

The Foreign Office spokesperson, in a statement, asserted that the slain civilians were tortured to death at a camp of the Indian Army.

The FO spokesperson emphasised that the perpetrators of the custodial killings must be held accountable, she said.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2023