SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met families of three civilians who were found dead after being detained by the Army, and assured them that justice will prevail. “Please have faith in us. Nobody can bring back to life of those who have died. But there will be justice,” Singh told the family members in Rajouri.
The three civilians — Safeer Hussain, 43, Mohd Showket, 27, and Shabir Ahmad, 32, — were among eight persons detained by the Army for questioning after an ambush on an Army convoy killed four soldiers on December 21. The bodies of three civilianc were found at the ambush site on December 22. The five others were allegedly tortured and are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Rajouri.
“He assured us that justice will be done and the guilty will be brought to book. He said if anyone has committed a mistake, he will not be spared,” a Rajouri District Development Council member said. Singh was visiting the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation.
Interacting with soldiers at a military garrison, Rajnath told them it was important to win the hearts and minds of the people. “You are the guardians of the country. Apart from the responsibility toward the security of the country, winning the hearts of the citizens is also a big responsibility on your shoulders,” he told them. “Such mistakes that may hurt any citizen of the country, should not happen,” the defence minister added.
Security review held
Rajnath Singh held a closed-door security review meeting at Raj Bhavan in Jammu on Wednesday. Officials said he was briefed on the security situation and the operational preparedness of the troops