S African body to probe Modi for war crimes

JOHANNESBURG: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under investigation for several crimes by South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The NPA has confirmed it will be investigating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged involvement in war crimes and human rights violations in Kashmir, South African media has reported. This is after the Muslim Lawyers Association lodged an official complaint with the NPA, calling on authorities to arrest Modi when he attends the Brics Summit later this month in Johannesburg. The organisation contends there is sufficient evidence to establish a case against Modi for alleged extrajudicial murders, rape and other human rights violations.

In a letter to the association, the NPA says it has decided to focus on last month’s report by the United Nations while investigating the allegations against Modi. The Muslim Lawyers Association has welcomed a decision by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to investigate Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged involvement in war crimes and human rights violations in Kashmir.

The NPA made the announcement on Tuesday. The association lodged an official complaint with the NPA in June, calling for Modi to be arrested at the Brics summit later this month. MLA spokesperson Yousha Tayob said: “We are happy to have received this acknowledgement that they will rely on a UN report dated 14 June 2015 to investigation detailing the excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, sexual violence and civilian casualties and death arising out of that report.”