NEW DELHI – A serving Army brigadier has written a tribute to former Jammuand Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) commander Ghulam Hassan Malik aliasNoor Khan — who died in the Jammu Jail while serving detention underPublic Safety Act (PSA) — for his help in securing the release of hisfather Major GS Gothra (Retd), who was the then Chief Engineer of UriHydroelectric Project of National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC), from theclutches of terrorists in 1993.
A resident of Uri, Noor Khan, 70, was arrested in January and shifted toKot Bhalwal jail in Jammu. He, however, fell ill while in jail and wasshifted to a hospital where he passed away on Tuesday. Khan was buried inhis ancestral graveyard on Wednesday
Brigadier PS Gothra, who is posted outside J&K, wrote a tribute on theFacebook page of the Army, saying that Khan’s death, pained his heart, asthough he had lost somebody very close.
“Many may wonder why a fourth generation officer of the Indian Army isfeeling bad on reading the headlines, ‘Pro-freedom activist lodged in JammuJail passes away’,” he wrote.
Elaborating, Brigadier Gothra said his father was abducted by terrorists inFebruary 1993 and NHPC employees and the locals were disturbed.
“So, they approached Noor Khan to help secure his release. Noor Khan,through his network could trace my father to a village in Sheri Valley. Alocal truck driver of the Project volunteered to go with Noor Khan to thatvillage. Noor Khan at his peril argued with those terrorists and bymidnight my father was brought back safely,” the post read.
Brigadier Gothra further wrote that a few days later, his father calledKhan to his office to offer him money for his help. “But he refused to takeeven a single penny. The man had a lot of dignity,” he wrote.
As luck would have it, Brigadier Gothra was posted to the same area in2013. “I went to his house to thank him for his good deed. I found out thathe had surrendered, grown old and was voluntarily passing information fromhis connections across the Line of Control,” he said.
Brigadier Gothra said his relationship with Khan was personal. “On his partalso, he never asked for any help except for the medical aid for hisgrandchild who suffered burn injuries. It was always good to listen to himnarrate his interactions with Army officers and leaders across the Line ofControl,” he wrote.
In fact Noor Khan’s life was saved by NHPC employees when he was injuredwhile trying to flee. It had cast a deep impact on the mind and soul ofKhan, who had joined terrorist ranks in 1989.
“On a cold night in 1991, Noor Khan and his accomplices were surrounded bysecurity forces. He jumped from the first floor and got away but his legwas fractured. He could drag himself to a distance. By midnight, he waslying helpless by the side of a road, when a couple of NHPC employees in avehicle spotted him. They took him along, gave him shelter and medical aid.In a month he was hale and hearty”, he wrote.
Later Brigadier Gothra told DNA that ideologies may differ but he and Khanwere good friends. “We used to talk to each other. Though he was much olderin age, he would sometimes advise on doing or not doing particular things.He used to give me fatherly advice,” he said.
Lekh Ram, who was the personal assistant of Major GS Gothra (Retd), toldDNA that Khan played a key role in securing the release of the chiefengineer.
“We did not know Noor Khan. He said ‘do not worry and we will bring himback’. Later in the evening, Sir (Major Gothra) was back”, he said
Irshad Malik, the eldest son of Khan, said his father was framed and ahigh-level inquiry should be held into his death. “How can an old man carrya grenade? He was unwell and had hypertension. Still they shifted him tojail. We want a high-level inquiry into his death”, he said.