Barbarity in Uniform: India’s Torture Centres in IIOJK Exposed

In yet another alarming episode of India’s unabated brutality in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the horrifying torture and castration of Muslim police constable Khursheed Ahmad Chohan at Kupwara’s infamous Joint Interrogation Centre has sent repercussions through the region. Masked under the pretext of a narcotics investigation, Chohan was unlawfully detained, savagely tortured, and left permanently mutilated by Indian security agencies, exposing the true, barbaric face behind India’s claims of justice and democracy.

Uniformed Torturers: A Dark Reality

Reports by the Kashmir Media Service detail the horrific ordeal faced by Chohan, where the interrogation centre: a facility jointly managed by the Indian army, police, and intelligence apparatus, turned into a torture chamber. Instead of legal questioning, Chohan was subjected to inhuman cruelty, ultimately resulting in his brutal castration. Such acts of depravity raise grave questions about the extent of institutionalised violence perpetrated by Indian occupation forces in IIOJK.

Judicial Indifference, Justice Delayed

Chohan’s initial quest for justice was met with heartless disregard by lower judicial forums, forcing him to escalate his plea to India’s Supreme Court. Although the apex court has now directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the matter, assigning a Special Investigation Team led by a senior police officer, the belated action underscores a disturbing judicial lethargy. The court’s instruction to complete the investigation within 90 days, while laudable, cannot erase the scars of trauma inflicted on Chohan, nor can it absolve the judicial system’s complicity through prior inaction.

Compensation or Tokenism?

The Supreme Court’s award of Rs 50 lakh in compensation to the victim is a tacit admission of the barbarity perpetrated by Indian authorities in the occupied territory. However, monetary recompense alone cannot restore the dignity, life, and physical integrity lost through such cruel and irreversible torture. It begs the critical question: Is financial compensation merely a hollow gesture aimed at deflecting international outrage and criticism, rather than a genuine pursuit of accountability?

Demanding Systemic Accountability

The apex court’s call for a thorough review of operations at the Kupwara interrogation centre, including scrutiny of CCTV footage, forensic evidence, and medical documentation is indeed necessary, but fundamentally insufficient. A broader investigation into the systemic use of torture and custodial violence across IIOJK must follow, accompanied by robust mechanisms of accountability, if India’s claims of constitutional protections are to hold any credibility. This horrific incident serves as yet another grim reminder of the entrenched culture of impunity, oppression, and violence perpetuated by India in IIOJK. Pakistan, along with the international community, must decisively condemn such atrocities. Mere statements and resolutions are inadequate; concrete diplomatic pressure must be exerted to compel India into ending this cycle of brutality. For the countless silent victims of custodial torture whose stories remain untold, Chohan’s ordeal highlights a painful truth: until systemic accountability and international vigilance replace silence and complacency, justice in IIOJK will remain elusive, and human dignity will continue to suffer under India’s brutal occupation.