On 8 November 1991, the Special Rapporteur sent a letter to the Government of India transmitting 401 cases of alleged summary or arbitrary execution… states of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh between 1988 and 1991. It was reported that in Jammu and Kashmir demonstrators demanding independence were shot dead by the police without warning on 20 May 1990. A series of arbitrary killings of unarmed people during demonstrations was reported, of which the incident of 20 May 1990 was an example, in which hundreds of people were allegedly killed by police between October 1989 and 20 May 1990.

According to information received, on 11 June 1991, some 25 civilians were allegedly killed by security forces in Chota Bazaar district of Srinagar. On 12 June 1991, a police official in Srinagar reportedly admitted the killing of the 25 civilians. Reportedly 16 people died as a result of torture by prison authorities in Jammu and Kashmir in 1988 and 1989. On 11 March 1991, central reserve police opened fire on shops in Srinagar, killing three people and injuring a 10-year-old child. Reportedly this version of events was confirmed by police officials in Srinagar. It was also reported that in July 1990, the Government had applied the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to Jammu and Kashmir. Already in force in north-east India, these measures empowered the security forces to shoot and kill with immunity from prosecution.

‍

Indian Government reply (excerpts):

With regard to the allegations contained in the Special Rapporteur's letter, it was noted that almost the entire list of cases alleging summary or arbitrary executions stated to have occurred related to Jammu and Kashmir. In a very large number of cases, specific dates of the alleged incidents were not stated and they were merely alleged to have taken place between October 1989 and May 1990… The allegations appeared to be part of just such a disinformation campaign. The independent and impartial Press Council of India had recently conducted an inquiry into allegations of human rights violations by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir and had concluded that the allegations were grossly exaggerated or even invented. Some of the allegations were found to be a massive hoax orchestrated by terrorist groups as part of a larger strategy of psychological warfare using a smear campaign in an attempt to internationalize the issue of human rights in Kashmir.