Suhail Dar
Not for the first time, the Kashmir valley was shocked at the visuals that emerged from the Kadalbal area of Pampore in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district where a family alleged that a woman was murdered by her in-laws, a claim Jammu Kashmir Police is investigating.
Late-night protests erupted in the Kadalbal Pampore area where locals alleged that the woman was murdered by her in-laws, demanding punishment for the culprits.
A resident of Pulwama, the 37-year-old woman has an 11-year-old daughter who saw her mother had died when she returned from her maternal house on Sunday around 4 PM.
Ghulam Rasool Pushoo, an uncle of the deceased speaking to The Kashmiriyat said that the deceased woman (name withheld) had disputes with her in-laws for a long time. “We spoke to her husband several times and asked him to resolve the issues and not engage in any brawls,” he said.
He said that the family consists of many members which include the brother and sister of the husband of the deceased woman. “She complained of fights with her sister-in-law quite often. She troubled her a lot,” Ghulam Rasool told The Kashmiriyat over the phone.
Muzaffar Ahmed, the husband of the deceased woman said that he received a call from his daughter stating that something was wrong with her mother. “I was at work when I received the call. I rushed to my home to find my wife unconscious. We rushed her to the hospital (Sub-District hospital, Pampore), where the doctors declared her dead,” he said.
I saw her fully covered in a blanket with her head covered too, he said. “But it was normal for my wife. She slept that way,” he told.
Muzaffar said that his sister who lives in the same house as the couple always engaged in brawls with them. “She was married, but her husband died after which we brought her home. She has been living with us since. My wife never said a word to her. May be, I have said a word or two during the verbal brawls we had, but my wife never responded to her,” he said.
He said that his wife had visible scratches and marks over her throat, which makes him doubt that she was murdered. “The only person I have doubt over is my nephew (sister’s son), who has attacked me too in the past. I have handed him over to the Police who are questioning him,” Muzaffar said.
Claiming that his wife was murdered, he demanded a stringent punishment to the culprits. and joined the protestors demanding a probe into the matter.
On Sunday night, the Tehsildar of Pampore Zubair Ahmed Bhat, SDPO Pampore Mir Imtiyaz Ahmad and SHO Pampore Muneer Ahmad reached the spot and pacified the protesters assuring clean investigation into the alleged murder.
“The doctors have carried the postmortem of the dead body before she was handed over to her legal heirs for the performance of last rites. Things will be more clear only after the post mortem reports are out,” officials said.
Meanwhile, the Jammu Kashmir police has registered an FIR under section 174 CrPC and said that they have started investigation in the case.
This is not the first such case where the family of married woman has alleged a murder by her in-laws- such cases have been on a rise in the Kashmir valley.
A Timeline
A 30-year-old woman was found dead at the house of her in-laws in the Harnag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on January 18, the claim, however, was refuted by medical superintendent of the hospital.
On February 24, 2022, staging a protest in the Qasbyar area of Pulwama, the family a woman alleged that the deceased was burnt by her in-laws for dowry.
On May 09, 2022, a woman, who was critically injured after she was allegedly beaten up by her in-laws in Keeri village of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, succumbed to her injuries at Srinagar hospital. The family of the woman had alleged that she was beaten by her husband and in-laws on Eid day and suffered critical injuries.
On June 13, 2022, A 32-year-old woman was found dead allegedly under suspicious circumstances at her in-laws’ house in Kakroosa area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, after which the family of the woman staged protests alleging that she was murdered.
On July 11 2022, A married woman, mother of an eight-month-old daughter died under mysterious circumstances in the Drabgam area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, a relative of the deceased woman said that the deceased was repeatedly informing her uncles of the torture by in-laws but they did not pay any attention to her because she had married on her own.
On August 03, 2022, Jammu Kashmir police claimed to have arrested five persons including husband and in-laws in a murder case of a lady at Bemina area of Srinagar.
On September 07, 2022, the family members of woman from Markundal area of Hajin in Bandipora district, who died at her in-laws home in Panzinara area of Srinagar held a protest demonstration, alleging deceased’s in-laws of murdering her.
On November 20, the family of the family of a married woman alleged that the woman, a resident of Kanipora area in Srinagar was brutally attacked with an axe in her in-laws house in Palpora Srinagar.
On 07 December 2022, a Family of a woman from Dorus village of Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district accused the in-laws of their daughter’s murder in Zachaldara area of Handwara.