Kargil war hero Saurabh Kalia's family wants Pakistan to apologize
November 28, 2012 11:18
The father of Captain Saurabh Kalia, who was captured and tortured by the Pakistan Army during the 1999 Kargil conflict, has moved the Supreme Court seeking its direction to the Union Government to raise his son's case in the International Court of Justice against Pakistan.
Retired scientist Dr NK Kalia, who hails from Palampur in Himachal, alleged that his son was captured as a prisoner of war but was killed in a gruesome manner in violation of the Geneva Convention.
"An individual cannot move the ICJ, only a country can move the court at the Hague. We have made a prayer asking the apex court to direct the government to move the ICJ," said Arvind Sharma, lawyer of the Kalia family.
Capt Kalia, who was with the 4 Jat Regiment, and soldiers of his patrol were captured alive on May 15, 1999, kept in captivity and tortured. The autopsy said parts of their bodies were burnt with cigarettes stubs, their eyes gouged out, teeth and bones broken and several limbs and private organs chopped off.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said, "This is an extremely, extremely sad story. But having expressed our deep distress and concern, we haven't got an adequate response from Pakistan. I express my deep respect to the family. He, in a sense, was a sentinel. Whatever is possible will be done. Matter is before the Supreme Court."
(AW-Jyotishman )