Encounter

Today the 17^th May 2015, headline on most of the TV Channels was about the death of Manoj in an encounter. The Police claim that he was wanted criminal and he opened fire when asked to surrender. His family members deny the Police report and claim that it was murder of an innocent in a fake encounter. Besides, they said that there was no complaint against him at any police station.

I recalled an event narrated by a police inspector in the year 1988.  Those days my friend retired DIG J L Pandita was posted as SP Control Room Srinagar. I often used to visit him after my working hours in his office. One day one Inspector Police a Sardar ji, posted at PCR Srinagar after his training at Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur narrated an interesting event on encounter.

At Phillaur some juniors with one or two stars asked him as to how many murders he committed to become an Inspector of Police. He was surprised and told them that he is supposed to check murders and not to commit murders. They were surprised to know that in J&K State people get promotions without fake encounters. They said that in their state, when a new SSP takes charge of the district, he manipulates fake encounters to be in the News on the front page to qualify for promotion out of turn. The modus operandi is a set formula like (a+b) whole square. A petty goonda is pampered by the concerned SHO until he feels that he is very close to police and gets encouraged to commit heinous crimes to earn notoriety in the society. He knows not that the Police maintains record of his criminal activities in its daily diaries. One day the public heaves a sigh of relief when the head line of the national paper reads that the notorious criminal was eliminated by the police in an encounter. The one star officer gains one more star and so the one with two or three. The SSP gets promoted to leave the district Head Quarter for the next to qualify for promotion. . .

1989 Bashir Haroon at the age of 13 innocently boarded a matador at Exhibition Crossing, Srinagar in response to the call from its conductor for ‘Kupwoer-Apuer’(Kupwara & across the border).  Farooq Abdullah’s regime seemed to be hand in glove with the Organizers of the mayhem as no police or Traffic Officer en route a distance of more than 200 km crossing a number of district Headquarters without route permit checked the documents of the driver.

Bashir crossed the border illegally, little knowing the consequences. Three month stay in POK and he was back to the valley. After his return, he felt repentant for his childish act and did not indulge in any unlawful act as reported by Bashir.

1995, he was apprehended and detained under PSA for nine months.

After his release, he was a peaceful citizen of India dedicated to his small business as a fruit vender.

He was assured protection against the active militants by Sharma Sahib, SSP BSF. Sharma Sahib often used to purchase fruit from him at market price.   Sharma Sahib had almost tamed Bashir. Even today Bashir has soft corner for Sharma Sahib.

One day Sharma Sahib along with his contingent came to Bashir and prepared him for one act play. Bashir and a few of his colleagues were each provided with a mask and AK47 without magazines. A deserted Kashmiri Pundit house was selected as the studio for shooting the film.

Sharma Sahib was script playwright, director and producer of the film; all-in-one.

Bashir and his associates were positioned at different positions on the windows of the house as directed and finally surrendered and fled from the scene as unidentified militants. Electronic and Print Media took it for real encounter. People around ran helter-skelter to escape any stray bullet. Transport both public and private went off the road instantaneously.

Electronic Media covered the scene live and the Print Media made a Headline of it the next day. Sharma Sahib and his associates qualified for commendation letters from the then Home Minister of India and soon got promotion to the next higher step.