Indian Army has zero-tolerance towards torture: Senior army official

In the event of diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks stating that there was torture and gross violations of human rights in Kashmir, a senior army commander today said the Indian Army has 'zero tolerance' for any human rights violations.

Maintaining that the army has been very swift in its actions against torture and violations of human rights, General Officer Commander (SOC), 16 Corps, Lt Gen JP Nehra said torture in any form cannot be condoned.

"In such cases (of rights' violations), we act very fast. Court of inquiries are ordered and people have been court marshalled if found guility...The army has total zero tolerance to human rights violations," Nehra told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar in Akhnoor, 35 kms from Jammu.

"Torture in any form cannot be condoned," he said, replying to questions on the WikiLeaks cables revealing the presence of torture camps and concentration camps in Kashmir in 2005.

Refusing to directly comment on the contents of the leaked cables on Kashmir, he said, "It is an old issue. I cannot comment on it."

In a briefing with the then US envoy to India, the International Committee of the Red Cross had in 2005 expressed concerns over alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and spoke about torture in detention centres, though it pointed out that the situation was much better than in the 1990s.

A two-day seminar on Human Rights organsied by the army's 10 Infantry Division commenced today in Akhnoor.