The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : `POTA in force in different names'

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Friday, Jun 08, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

`POTA in force in different names'

Special Correspondent

Democratic institutions are on the verge of a collapse: Geelani

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), the Centre is misleading the people by including its stringent provisions in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Sayeed Abdurehman Geelani has said.

Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on `Encounter killings and State terrorism' organised by the Minority Rights Watch here on Thursday, Prof. Geelani, who was acquitted in the Parliament attack case, said that POTA was still in force in different names.

The Centre had been enacting draconian laws like POTA and TADA and giving a free hand to the forces to go on a killing spree in the guise of combating terrorism.

"Even a non-commissioned junior officer has the immunity to kill anyone on the grounds of suspicion. Though people often hear stories of encounter killings, they do not take any practical steps to end such instances. They do not bother to hear the other side of the stories being propagated by the forces," he said.

"Most of the encounter killings are murder of the innocents. People are usually rounded up in connection with festivals, Republic Day and Independence Day from Delhi and some get killed. Then the police say the killed had come to Delhi with a terrorist plan.

Though the modus operandi keeps on changing fake encounter killings are continuing," he said.

Since none claimed the bodies of those killed in the Parliament attack case, the police said that those killed were Pakistanis.

Many unclaimed bodies are found in metros almost every day. How can that be explained, he asked. Democratic institutions are on the verge of a collapse. The investigating agencies now fix a target and then begin the probe. The complaints of the kin of those killed in encounter killings before the National Human Rights Commission have not evoked any action.

Encounter killings

Many of the encounter killings are stage-managed. Intelligence agencies have safe houses in Delhi and its precincts to arrest and detain people.

Many are still languishing in jails in illegal custody, he said.

Jan Sangharsh Manch secretary-general Amrish Patel inaugurated the seminar. Minority Rights Watch chairman S. Shanavas presided.

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