Srinagar, August 31: The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) on Thursday petitioned the J&K Human Rights Commission to direct authorities to carry out investigations into the unmarked graves discovered across the Valley through DNA testing and other forensic methods.
The APDP sought prosecution of those "involved in this heinous crime of enforced disappearances irrespective of their backgrounds or posts they hold" on the eve of the international day of the disappeared.
Nearly 500 cases have been filed before the commission seeking directions to the state government for DNA tests of the remains found in the unmarked graves. Initially, the state government refused to exhume the bodies. But chief minister Omar Abdullah last year asked the members of the association to give their blood samples for DNA tests.
APDP program coordinator Khurram Parvez accused the government of using delaying tactics. "Had the chief minister been serious about the issue, he would have by now directed the authorities to conduct the process of the identification of the unmarked graves and also asked them to get in touch with the APDP for investigation and DNA tests as well," Parvez said.
APDP spokesperson Tahira Begum told TOI that they submitted 132 fresh cases of enforced disappearances from Banihal in December 2011, regarding which the investigations are continuing.
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