Death of 7 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam: Amnesty India calls for 'impartial investigation'

New Delhi: The Amnesty India Wednesday said there should be an “independent and impartial” investigation into the death recently of seven civilians in a blast at Kulgam district in South Kashmir and those responsible for it should be brought to justice. [caption id=“attachment_3428822” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Seven civilians were killed on 21 October when explosives left unused by three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants, gunned down in an encounter, went off in Kulgam district of South Kashmir. “In case of any direct or indirect violence between security forces and armed groups, extra caution should be exercised to ensure that civilians in the area do not become collateral damage. “Safety of the civilian population should be of paramount importance,” said Aakar Patel, Executive Director, Amnesty India. Authorities should conduct “effective, independent and impartial” investigations into the killings and bring those responsible to justice, he said. The incident took place at Laroo village in Kulgam district, one of the worst hit by militancy in South Kashmir when security forces launched a search-and-cordon operation following intelligence report about the presence of militants. “What transpired in the aftermath of the Kulgam encounter is unfortunate and could have been avoided. “While we acknowledge that a case has been registered, we urge the authorities to ensure all those responsible for the incident are brought to justice for their failure to protect the human rights of the population of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Patel.