Security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir have been accused of carrying out beatings and torture in the wake of the government’s decision to strip the region of its autonomy.
The BBC heard from several villagers who said they were beaten with sticks and cables, and given electric shocks.
The Indian army has called them “baseless and Unsubstantiated.”
Unprecedented restrictions have put Kashmir into a state of lockdown for more than three weeks and information has only trickled out since August 5 when Article 370 – as the provision giving the region special status is known – was revoked.
Tens of thousands of extra troops have been deployed to the region and about 3,000 people – including political leaders, businesspeople and activists – are reported to have been detained.
Many have been moved to prisons outside the state.
The authorities say these actions are pre-emptive and designed to maintain law and order in the region, which was India’s only Muslim-majority state but is now being divided into two federally-run territories.
The Indian army has been fighting a separatist insurgency here for over three decades. India blames Pakistan for fomenting violence in the region by supporting militants – a charge that its neighbour, which controls its own part of Kashmir, denies.
Many people across India have welcomed the revocation of Article 370 and have praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the “bold” decision. The move has also been widely supported by mainstream media.
BBC
