NEW DELHI, March 11: The fudging of DNA samples of alleged and now even possibly imagined militants who carried out the massacre of 36 Sikh civilians in Kashmir during President Clinton’s visit to Delhi in March 2000, was slammed by the opposition in the state assembly of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

The story of the five “militants” who were said to have been killed after being blamed for the massacre is expected to recoil on Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference government ahead of the state polls due in October this year, Star News reported.

Abdullah now says he will make public the list of police officers and doctors who are being suspended for tampering with the DNA tests that may have falsely implicated some innocent people.

“In a small village of Anantnag, Raja Zahoor has lost all faith in the system. His son was among the five men killed two years ago in March. The police had claimed he was one of the militants responsible for the Chittisinghpora massacre,” the Star News said.

But after his body was exhumed, his mother identified him as her missing son. The police have come by a second time to collect samples for DNA testing. “The DNA test was totally uncalled for. As far as their identity was concerned it was known beyond doubt who the five people who were killed in Pathribal were,” said Munir Shah, a lawyer.

The controversy unfolded in the following manner: The Chittsinghpora massacre took place on the night of March 20. As many as 36 Sikhs were killed.

On March 25, the Army and police killed five men in Anantnag claiming they were terrorists and the killers involved in the Chittsinghpura massacre.

At the same time, five villagers from Anantnag had gone missing. Public protests erupted across the Valley. Protesters were fired upon by the police. The Justice Pandian Commission was set up, which later indicted the police for unprovoked firing.

Under pressure, Farooq Abdullah’s government exhumed all five bodies and handed them over to the families concerned.

Police officials were suspended and DNA tests ordered.

Two years later, evidence that the samples were tampered with has pushed the chief minister into a corner.

“We talk about rebuilding the confidence of the people of the state but I am ashamed to say that rebuilding the confidence is a distant dream. This will further erode the confidence of people,” said Kashmir’s lone communist deputy in the assembly Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami.

After initially denying reports on the tampering, the chief minister had to apologize to the assembly. He however says action will be taken against officials only after a fresh inquiry, Star News said.

“The government has nothing to conceal,” Abdullah said in a brief statement in the assembly. “I want justice done. I really cannot understand why people do not want to have an honest answer,” he added. Abdullah assured that if any fudging is proved, the erring officials, whosoever be and whatsoever might be their status, would not be spared. — JN