NEW DELHI, 25 September 2004 — A government scheme to offer rewards to surrendering militants in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir was challenged in the Supreme Court yesterday.
A public interest litigation filed by the Society of Human Rights and Civil Liberties claimed that such cash rewards “amounted to glorifying terrorism.”
The state government gives a cash award of 300,000 rupees and grants a life-long pension of 3,000 rupees a month to every militant who surrenders. Additionally, they are given cash awards of between 25,000 rupees and 100,000 rupees if they hand over their weapons. This policy taxes the exchequer to the tune of 34 million rupees, the petition argued.
“A person will take up arms, kill 10 to 20 innocent people and then give up arms to claim the reward and pension. We feel this policy awards those who kill innocent people and is therefore against the rights of citizens of this country,” counsel for the petitioner said.
The Supreme Court issued notices to the federal and Jammu and Kashmir governments on the petition.
Meanwhile, violence in the state continued yesterday. An army spokesman said in Srinagar that troops killed five guerrillas trying to sneak into India from Pakistan and were locked in a fierce gunbattle with more rebels trying to infiltrate.
“The army intercepted a group of heavily armed infiltrators in Machil sector on Thursday morning, leading to a fierce gunbattle,” the spokesman said.
