By Jason Burke in Delhi, guardian.co.uk, Dec. 6, 2012

Hundreds of serving Indian soldiers, including senior officers, are accused of involvement in widespread human rights abuses in Kashmir in a new report to be published on Thursday.

Many have been decorated and promoted despite serious allegations against them, the authors say. In a move likely to provoke anger, the report, by a team of veteran legal activists in the Himalayan state, names 500 "alleged perpetrators" ranging from low-ranking policemen to Indian army generals.

The charges relate to incidents occurring throughout more than 20 years of violence pitting armed religious and separatist groups against New Delhi's rule in Kashmir, and include shootings, abductions, torture and rapes.

The allegations will embarrass India, which takes great pride in being the world's largest democracy [....]