CoI failed to submit report on Kishtwar riots: Cong

The one-man Commission of Inquiry(CoI) appointed by J and K government to probe Kishtwar riots has failed to submit its report in stipulated time frame, Congress MLA G M Saroori said here today.
Saroori, who was seeking the statue of CoI and payment of compensation to the victims, said that Chief Minister in his written reply to his question has admitted that after the laps of more than six months the Commission of Justice (retd) R C Gandhi has failed to submitted final report and missed another deadline of February 22.
"The CoI was constituted in August 2013 to enquire into the incidents of violence and arson that took place on August 9, 2013 in Kishtwar has submitted only an interim report in December, 2013 and the date of submission of the final report has been extended upto February 22," the former Minister said quoting the written reply.

He said the Chief Minister has confirmed that government has not received the final report and was considering the interim finding received by the Commission.
"As the final report is yet to submitted by the Commission, certain interim findings made in the interim report which are under considerations and do not pertain to the victims," he said quoting the CM's reply.
The Congress MLA said that an amount of Rs 1,84,11,563 had already been sanctioned and disbursed among 75 affected families, 45 relief cases were under process for payments.

The state government had constituted the Commission to probe into the circumstances that led to large scale rioting in Kishtwar and asked it to submit report within one month.

After four months and recording the statements of official including the then Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar and SP besides statements of more than 350 locals of Kishtwar and Padder, the Commission submitted its interim report on December 20, 2013 and give clean chit to Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, who had resigned from the ministry in wake of allegations of his involvement in riots by the Opposition.
A day after receiving the interim report, Kichloo was re-inducted as a minister in state government on same portfolios, he said.
Saroori said that the Gandhi commission in its interim report gave a clean chit to Kichloo, slams different wings of the police, including the CID and administration, for non-cooperation.

It has held the former DC, DIG, SP, police personnel on ground duty and magistrates of violence-hit areas responsible for negligence of duty.
It has recommended grilling of senior police officers for not registering an FIR into the case pertaining to attack on MoS Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo.
The report also stated that Kichloo be treated as a victim and not accused, he said.