Jammu and Kashmir government withdraws cases against 9,730 stone pelters

The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved withdrawal of cases against 9,730 stone pelters, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti told the assembly on Saturday. In a written reply in the assembly, she said that the government approved the withdrawal of cases registered between 2008 and 2017 against the stone pelters, including first-time offenders, though withdrawal of 1,745 cases is subject to certain conditions, based on recommendations of a committee set up to look into the matter.

Mehbooba Mufti also said that the government has also recommended amnesty for more than 4,000 people involved in minor incidents of stone pelting over the past two years. Due to security reasons for them and their families, she didn’t disclose the particulars of first-time offenders.

In a detailed reply, the Chief Minister said 3,773 cases were registered in 2016 and 2017, leading to the arrest of 11,290 people, while 233 remained untraced. Seven cases were not admitted, 1,692 were chargesheeted and 1,841 were under investigation, she added in her reply.

Intense clashes had rocked Kashmir Valley in 2016 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 in a gunfight with security forces in Anantnag district. As many as 85 people were killed in clashes with security forces in the 2016 valley unrest.

The Chief Minister said while 2,904 cases were registered and 8,570 people were arrested in connection with stone pelting incidents in 2016, the number of such cases in 2017 dropped to 869 in which 2,720 people were arrested. She said 56 government employees and 16 Hurriyat Conference activists were among the 4,949 people found involved in stone pelting incidents while 4,074 were not affiliated with any separatist or militant group.