Poonch custodial deaths: Gujjar leaders express outrage as Armed Forces Tribunal clears record of Brigadier
Gujjar community leaders are protesting an Armed Forces Tribunal decision to remove administrative censure from a Brigadier's record regarding the 2023 custodial deaths of three civilians in Poonch. The leaders view the tribunal's move as a betrayal of justice following the deaths that occurred during an anti-insurgency operation.
Why it matters
The case underscores tensions between military accountability and local community relations in conflict-prone regions like Jammu and Kashmir.
Prominent Gujjar community leaders and activists have expressed anger over the decision of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) to strike out from record the administrative punitive action against a senior Army officer for the custodial deaths of three civilians in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir in December 2023.
Strongly reacting to the tribunal's decision to remove Brigadier Padmasambhava Acharya's name from administrative files after his two-year period of "severe displeasure" censure, Gujjar community leader Shahnawaz Choudhary described the episode as a "complete betrayal of the community".
The dispute originated from an operation in response to an ambush near the Dera Ki Gali (DKG) area of Poonch District on December 21, 2023, during which four soldiers were killed, two of them being mutilated.
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