Jammu and Kashmir Police Thursday said that the investigation into the “death” of 35-year-old person Abdul Rashid Dar of Kunan village in Kupwara, who was picked up by the army in December and later went missing, is in progress.
On Wednesday massive protest erupted in the village, around 100 km north of Srinagar, after the discomposed body of Dar was recovered from Kupwara’s Zirhama forests. Hundreds of men and women assembled to protest shouting, “We want justice.”
On December 15, according to the family, the Army’s 41 Rashtriya Rifles had picked up Dar, who was driving a load carrier to make a living, from his house for questioning. The family says the next day the Army told them Dar slipped during custody when they were taking him for a raid.
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The Army’s statement led to protests with the family and villagers coming down to Srinagar’s press colony seeking their son's whereabouts.
Now the family describes the “escape theory as a lie to cover up the murder.”
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “Extremely disturbed to see pictures of the mutilated body of Abdul Rashid from Kunan Poshpora. Wasn’t allowed to visit the family under the pretext of security. What transpired after the Army picked him up for questioning months ago is anybody’s guess.”
Peoples Conference has demanded a fast-track impartial probe into the incident.
The police said on March 1, they received information about a body lying in the forest area of Zurhama-PK Gali and they rushed the police party to the spot. The body was later identified as Abdul Rashid Dar of Kunan.
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The police said the family members of the "deceased had alleged on December 15" he was taken by some army personnel from his house at Kunan village. The police said, “The army had revealed that although he was taken for some questioning and subsequent identification of a particular place in the forest area, but he jumped over and fled taking advantage of the darkness and topography.”
“During the course of investigation besides other procedural formalities, post mortem was also got conducted through a designated team of doctors and after conducting medico-legal formalities the body was handed over to his legal heirs for last rites,” the police said.
They added that it had started a proper investigation to ascertain all facts and circumstances leading to his death.
In December after the family staged a protest in Srinagar, National Conference MP called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and sought his intervention into the matter.
NC MP Justice Masoodi, according to the NC statement, had asked the Union Defence Minister to intervene in the case and help the family trace their son amidst serious apprehensions about his safety.
“The army's version of the disappearance is unconvincing and inconsistent with that of the family, who do not believe that he could have escaped from the camp, where hundreds of forces are deployed. A sinking feeling of panic has gripped the family and the entire area,” the NC leader had told the Defence Minister.
