It does not behove the Jammu and Kashmir police to be trying to threaten people into submission, NC vice president Omar Abdullah said Wednesday after the SIT probing the Hyderpora encounter threatened legal action against political leaders for making "speculative" statements about the investigation.
He said criticising the report, whether interim or final, is the right of any citizen. "If the SIT wants people to believe the report it should report the truth, period," Abdullah wrote on Twitter. "As to the "threat of penal action". Criticising the report, whether interim or final is the right of any citizen & it does not behove J&K police to be trying to threaten people in to submission,” he said.
In a statement here, the SIT said speculative statements from the political leaders have tendency to create provocation, rumour, fear and alarm among the general masses or particular section of society. "This kind of approach is against the rule of law and may attract appropriate penal provisions as envisaged under law," the chairman of the SIT said.
"The SIT constituted in the instant case is still investigating the matter, all such persons are once again advised to provide any type of evidence if they have regarding the incident so that every aspect of investigation is covered and concluded on merits," the statement said.
Reacting to the statement, Abdullah further said if the SIT is still investigating the matter, then what was the need to rush to the press with a statement on Tuesday. "I don't recall reading anywhere that yesterday's report was an interim one," the NC leader said.
CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said the police warning of a penal action "is like diktat and crossing all the limits of brazen bizarre display of authoritative tendency”. "Political leaders have every right to ask questions. Threatening right to question is breach of law and duty police is supposed to uphold," Tarigami wrote on Twitter.
With inputs from PTI.
