# Lethpora, Awantipora Man vs The State

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2003-0022](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2003-0022)

## Report card

By judgment dated 9 October 2003 in O.W.P. No. 263 of 2001, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court (Coram: Syed Bashir-Ud-Din, J.) returned findings adverse to 5 police personnel, namely: Superintendent of Police (Operations), STF/SOG, Awantipora; Sub-Inspector, SOG, Lethpora; Constable No. 602, JKAP with SOG Lethpora; Police personnel, SOG party, Lethpora; SHO, Soura (then), Soura Police Station, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 2 lakh (Rs 2,00,000).

- Register number: JK 13 CW 0001
- Case reference: O.W.P. No. 263 of 2001 / 2004 CriLJ 1706
- Court and date: Jammu and Kashmir High Court (Coram: Syed Bashir-Ud-Din, J.), 9 October 2003
- Officer(s) at the material time: Superintendent of Police (Operations), STF/SOG, Awantipora; Sub-Inspector, SOG, Lethpora; Constable No. 602, JKAP with SOG Lethpora; Police personnel, SOG party, Lethpora; SHO, Soura (then), Soura Police Station
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Article 21 of the Constitution of India; Article 226 of the Constitution of India
- Finding of the Court (extract): “The police version is wholly unacceptable and one tailored to serve interests of the police personnel involved in the offence of custodial disappearance of the subject.” (at para 8)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: imprisonment and fine. Compensation: Rs 2 lakh (Rs 2,00,000).
- Present status of the proceedings: No further proceedings are recorded in the cited sources; the judgment is the concluded position shown.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/964711/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2003-0022)

**Record:** CW-2003-0022 (compiler id CWC-0863); case GAP2-41-007
**Title:** Lethpora, Awantipora Man vs The State
**Court:** Jammu and Kashmir High Court; judges: Syed Bashir-Ud-Din
**Case number / citation:** O.W.P. No. 263 of 2001 / 2004 CriLJ 1706
**Judgment:** 2003-10-09 (2003, day precision)
**Incident date:** 1997-09-01 (1997)
**Place:** Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir; city town: Lethpora, Awantipora; police station or unit: STF/SOG camp, Lethpora, Awantipora; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** enforced disappearance
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Sections:** Constitution Art. 21; Constitution Art. 226
**Officers (gated display forms):** Superintendent of Police (Operations), STF/SOG, Awantipora; Sub-Inspector, SOG, Lethpora; Constable No. 602, JKAP with SOG Lethpora; Police personnel, SOG party, Lethpora; SHO, Soura (then), Soura Police Station (4 in record)
**Victims:** Lethpora, Awantipora man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** mixed; Rs 2 lakh (Rs 2,00,000)
**Sentence type:** mixed (mixed)

The judgment of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court records the following account. A Lethpora, Awantipora man, a cameraman with the University of Kashmir, was picked up from the university campus in September 1997 by an STF/SOG team led by SP (Operations) \[name withheld\] and never seen again. The State Human Rights Commission, after a full enquiry with cross-examination, held the arrest proved and the police story of escape during a Nowhatta arms-recovery operation fabricated, recommending Rs. 5 lakh interim relief, a criminal case and disciplinary action. The High Court adopted the SHRC findings, held the case a custodial disappearance in breach of Article 21, and awarded Rs. 2 lakh public-law compensation (unless the State paid the SHRC-recommended Rs. 5 lakh), leaving recovery from the responsible officers to the State. It also directed registration of a criminal case against the erring officials, investigation by an SSP-rank officer within four months, and simultaneous disciplinary proceedings. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> The police version is wholly unacceptable and one tailored to serve interests of the police personnel involved in the offence of custodial disappearance of the subject.

**Sources (3):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/964711/); [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/992182/abdul-rashid-beigh-appellant-hash-the-state-respondent/); [sooperkanoon.com](https://sooperkanoon.com/case/901744/abdul-rashid-beigh-vs-state)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** brutality
**admin subcategory:** enforced_disappearance
**allegations:** {'category': 'Other', 'primary': True, 'position': 'Material fact supported', 'position_explainer': 'Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.', 'official_finding_relation': 'supports allegation'}
**anonymised:** False
**court quote para:** 8
**display title redacted:** Lethpora, Awantipora Man vs The State
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-19', 'scope': 'Round-8 full re-verification: published record re-checked against the judgment text (outcome, officers, quote, key facts) plus methodology-compliance pass', 'method': 'skills-guided adversarial re-verification of the published record against the judgment text (reverify/t1-*/adversarial-8.jsonl)', 'result': 'holds', 'corrections_applied': \[\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2003-10-09', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Jammu and Kashmir High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Jammu and Kashmir High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel and ordered Rs 200,000.', 'disposition': 'Compensation ordered · Supports allegation (for the compensated wrong only)', 'source': '2004 CriLJ 1706', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/964711/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/992182/abdul-rashid-beigh-appellant-hash-the-state-respondent/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://sooperkanoon.com/case/901744/abdul-rashid-beigh-vs-state', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** enforced disappearance
**tier:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**tier badge:** Externally reported
**tier history:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**verdict:** accept
**verdict note:** Custodial disappearance proved; compensation plus criminal/disciplinary directions.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

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