‘Every knock feels like him’: Kashmiri man went to sell shawls in 2013, never returned; NHRC issues notice

July 16, 2025 by News Desk

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a final notice to the Jammu Kashmir Police over their prolonged inaction in the case of Manzoor Ahmad Kumar, a hawker from Kupwara district who went missing under mysterious circumstances while working in Punjab more than 12 years ago.

Manzoor Ahmad, a resident of Zachildar in Dardhaji Rajwar, Kupwara, had travelled to Amritsar, Punjab in December 2012 to sell shawls and traditional Kashmiri clothes.

He was last heard from in February 2013. His family said he was 25 years old at the time and had gone to earn a living to support his parents and three younger siblings. He never returned.

His brother, Tanveer Ahmad, who was only eight years old when Manzoor disappeared, recalled the trauma that unfolded in the months and years that followed.

“He had left with a few others who were also selling shawls. After February 17, 2013, no one heard from him. The people who accompanied him said he had gone out and never came back. We searched for him across Punjab — every week for two weeks we combed hospitals, police stations, but there was nothing,” Tanveer told The Kashmiriyat.

Tanveer, now grown up, said the family continues to live in a state of limbo. “The worst part is the uncertainty, whether he’s alive or dead. Every time someone knocks on the door, we still think, maybe it’s Manzoor. Every single day, we miss him,” he said, his voice quiet.

Manzoor was the sole breadwinner of the family. “After he vanished, our entire life collapsed. He had taken on the responsibility of the family. My father’s health deteriorated from the shock, my mother hasn’t slept properly in years,” Tanveer said.

Manzoor’s mother, recalling her last conversation with her son, told The Kashmiriyat, “It was February 17, 2013. He called to ask how I was doing. He said, ‘Ammi, I’ll be home in a few days. I’ve sold most of the shawls.’ He sounded tired but calm. That was the last time I heard his voice.”

She added, “No mother should have to live like this, wondering if her child is cold, hungry, hurt, or buried somewhere far away. Sometimes, in dreams, I still see him standing at the door with a bag of shawls.”

The case was initially taken up by the now-defunct Jammu Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (JKSHRC), following a petition filed by RTI activist and lawyer Rasikh Rasool Bhat. After the JKSHRC ceased to function following the 2019 reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir, the matter was transferred to the NHRC.

In a series of directives, the NHRC instructed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Handwara, to submit a comprehensive report by January 17, 2024. When no meaningful response was received, aside from a forwarding letter, a reminder was issued on November 6, 2024.

With the investigation still stagnant, the NHRC has now issued a final four-week deadline, warning that failure to comply may result in action under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, including summoning the SSP in person.

“This is a serious lapse in accountability,” rights activist and lawyer Rasikh Rasool Bhat told The Kashmiriyat. “The family has waited over 12 years for answers. This is not just about one missing man, it’s about the right to dignity and justice,” he said. “The least the authorities can do now is fulfill their legal and moral obligation to investigate.”