Handwara case: Family says girl forced to give statement

“My daughter is just 16 years old and was alone in the police station when her statement was recorded. She was pressurised by police to give that statement,” her mother claimed. A civil society group scheduled a press conference here for the family but it was not allowed by police. 

Talking to reporters, the girl’s mother alleged that police detained her daughter without informing the family and revealed her identity by recoding the video statement without covering her face.

She said, “When the girl was returning home after school on Tuesday, she went to a bathroom and was followed by an army man. When she saw the army man in the bathroom, she raised an alarm, attracting the attention of nearby shopkeepers. The policemen also came to the scene but the army man fled.” 

“She was then taken to a police station without our knowledge,” the mother said.

“We have approached court and demanded an independent inquiry into the incident. We do not want police or Army, those who have done this, to inquire it,” she said. 

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Saturday directed the police to cite the law under which they have detained the girl, who was allegedly molested by a soldier in Handwara on Tuesday which led to violent protests resulting in the death of five persons. 

Taja Begum, mother of the 16-year-old girl, filed a petition before the High Court on Saturday seeking release of her daughter and two other relatives from “illegal detention” by police, counsel for petitioner Parvaiz Imroz said. 

Besides issuing notice to the state, Justice MH Attar directed the Superintendent of Police Handwara and SHO of the concerned police station to tell the court under which law they have detained the minor girl, her father and aunt since the incident on April 12, Imroz said. 

He said the court also directed the police to present the girl before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Handwara for recording her statement.

“The court has also said that father and aunt of the girl cannot be forced to appear before print or electronic media,” Imroz said.