Rights body dismisses plea for copy of Koul commission report

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 20

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has dismissed an application by the father of slain teenager Tufail Matoo, in which he had sought directions to the government to provide a copy of the report of the Justice Koul Commission of Inquiry.

The SHRC cited lack of jurisdiction as one of the grounds for dismissal of the application moved by Mohammad Ashraf Matoo, the father of the slain teenager.

On June 11, 2010, Tufail Matoo was returning home from tuition when he was hit by a teargas shell fired by policemen near Gani Memorial College in old Srinagar city. Tufail was killed on the spot.

The youth’s death had triggered large-scale violence in the Valley in the summer of 2010, leading to killing of 120 civilians.

“The applicant seeks a copy of a report of the commission which was appointed by the government under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1962. The commission has submitted its report to the government and the petitioner wants the commission to order supply of copy of the report to him,” SHRC Chairman Justice Bilal Nazki (retd) wrote in the order today while mentioning the prayer of the application moved by Matoo.

“This request is outside the jurisdiction of the commission. The petitioner may approach the appropriate authorities,” the SHRC said in its orders while dismissing the application, filed by the slain youth’s father in January 2017

Justice ML Koul (retd), who was appointed by then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to probe the civilian killings of the 2010 unrest, had submitted its report to the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on December 30, 2016. Apart from suggesting the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the retired judge had recommended a CBI inquiry into the killing of Tufail Matoo.