Beheading of Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar

The beheading of Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar by Pakistani soldiers and over two-dozen HuJI terrorists led by Ilyas Kashmiri happened in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, India on 27 February 2000. Talekar was an Indian soldier on guard duty at the Ashok Listening Post which is surrounded on three sides by Pakistani posts. His post was attacked under the cover of mortar and rocket fire from Pakistani troops in which all seven soldiers on duty from the 17 Maratha Light Infantry battalion were killed. Talekar was beheaded and his severed head was carried across the line of control by terrorists.

Pakistani media published the photographs of Ilyas Kashmiri carrying the severed head of Talekar. The involved Pakistani soldiers were said to be from the Special Services Group (SSG). A section of the Indian establishment believe that Ilyas Kashmiri was a member of the SSG during the attack. Pakistan denied that their soldiers were involved in the incident. It is reported that Kashmiri was honored by the then president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf for bringing the head of an Indian soldier.

After the beheading of Talekar, allegations of other incidents of beheading by both countries have frequently been reported.

Biography of Talekar

Talekar was a resident of Kolgaon village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India. He was the son of daily laborers and had studied till the 10th grade before joining the army. He was unmarried and 24 years old at the time of his death. According to natives of his village, the family of Talekar did not knew that he was beheaded. The army declined the Talekar's sister request to see his face.^[1] His last rites were performed at his village.^[1][2]

Incident

In the early hours of 27 February 2000, a guerilla attack led by Ilyas Kashmiri and twenty-five^[3] HuJI terrorists was launched at the Ashok Lightening Post, Nowshehra sector in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.^[4][1] The attack was covered by heavy mortar and rocket fire from Pakistani soldiers, which were dressed in black uniform and reported to be from Special Services Group.^[5] The Indian post is surrounded on all three sides by the Pakistani posts and is said to be a unfavorable position.^[4] Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar was on guard duty, and other seven soldiers of the 17 Maratha Light Infantry were in the bunker at the time of incident. Ilyas Kashmiri slit Talekar's throat and thereafter other terrorists accompanying him opened fire inside bunker in which all seven soldiers were killed.^[6]

The head of Talekar was taken across the Line of Control in Pakistan by the terroists^[2] and was brandished as a trophy before the public.^[7][8] According to Indian Army, Talekar was the first casualty of the attack. ^[2] A captured terrorist revealed that they had played football with the head of Talekar.^[9]

Pakistan denied that its soldiers were involved in the incident.^[10]

Aftermath

Ilyas Kashmiri

Pakistani media published the photographs of Ilyas Kasmiri carrying the severed head of Talekar.^[11] It also reported that the then president of Pakistan Gen. Pervez Musharraf honored Ilyas Kashmiri in a ceremony and rewarded his one-lakh ruppes cash for bringing the head of an Indian soldier.^{[1][12][13][14]} Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in a US drone attack in 2011.^[1][11]

The inquiry against the commanding officer

The commanding officer of the unit was Colonel Sandes. He had communicated to the superiors seeking permission to shift the Ashok listening post because of the possibility of a sneaking attack such as the one which happened on the 27 February 2000, but he was denied permission. He faced a court of inquiry after the incident which exonerated him, but his superiors had reported that colonel Sandes was unfit for commanding a unit. The colonel had to fight a legal battle to be eligible for promotion. Sandes was promoted to the rank of Brigadier in 2010.^[4]

Talekar's memory

The army took up the responsibility of the education of his sister after the incident. His family continues to receive a pension of ₹10,000 per month. A sum of 12 lakh rupees was given to Talekar's family as compensation.^[1]

In his memory, a community hall was built in his village. His sister is pursuing the hope to start a school for special children in his memory.^[1]

Similar incidents

Since the torture and murder of Saurabh Kalia during the Kargil war in the custody of Pakistani troops; many allegations of mistreatment of soldiers by the other side have been reported from Kashmir. The beheading of Talekar happened one year after the Kargil war ended. Pakistan has filed complaints with the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) accusing the Indian Army of beheading at least a dozen Pakistani soldiers since 1998.^[15] India has denied these allegations.^[16][17] In one decade before 2013, when Lance Naik Hemraj was beheaded, there have been at least three other such instances of decapitation of Indian soldiers by the Pakistani troops.^[18]

See Also

• Saurabh Kalia
• List of punitive expeditions across the LOC

References