‘He had just gone to receive guests’: Family of Zubair, found dead in Delhi, speaks out

June 4, 2025 by News Desk

Ubaid Mukhtar

Zubair Ahmad Bhat, a 30-year-old resident of Sehyar Ali Kadal in Srinagar, died under mysterious circumstances in New Delhi.

His grieving family has called for a thorough investigation into the events leading to his death, urging authorities to deliver justice.

As per the family members who spoke to The Kashmiriyat, Zubair had been working with a handicraft company, Kashmir Arts, in Delhi for the past four years. He had returned home to Srinagar recently but left again on Wednesday, May 29, to receive guests from Bangladesh and accompany them to Kashmir.

“He left just for a few days,” said Irfan Ahmad Bhat, his cousin. “The situation in Delhi was tense, and he even mentioned rising communal stress when he called home.”

The family received a troubling phone call on Friday, May 31. “He called his sister and told her that he was assaulted. He said, ‘I was beaten and my wallet was taken,’” said another cousin, Furqan Bhat. “The wallet had ₹30,000 in it — his three-month salary, which he had received in advance due to the worsening situation.”

Zubair was staying in Lajpat Nagar, where he had a history of renting the same flat during his work trips. “He had kept his luggage with the local shopkeeper at E-48, where he usually stayed,” Furqan added.

According to the family, Zubair remained in touch until the evening of June 1. “Until 5 PM that day, everything seemed normal. Then we got a call saying he had been found banging his head against a wall,” Furqan said.

However, the family has questioned this version of events. “If he really hit his head as the police claimed, why were there no visible injuries on his head?” Irfan asked. “We were told different things at different times — but no one could explain what really happened.”

Zubair was later hospitalised in Delhi in critical condition. Family members who managed to reach the hospital said they had trouble accessing proper medical updates or documentation. “There was no prescription, no admission form. We couldn’t even get a toxicity screening kit to find out what had affected him,” Irfan told The Kashmiriyat.

The family claimed to have chat screenshots showing that Zubair was beaten in the Delhi locality where he was staying.

His body was flown back to Srinagar the on June 04. A heavy security presence was noted in Sehyar Ali Kadal during the funeral preparations. Police visited the family residence soon after and said that an investigation had been initiated.

“He has a mother, a brother, and a sister,” said Irfan. “We don’t want conflict. We just want answers. What happened to him? Why did he die?”

Furqan added, “He had worked in Delhi for years without any trouble. This shouldn’t have happened. We’re asking for justice — not just for our family, but so no one else has to go through this.”

The family said that the local Police has been cooperative and they have assured investigation into the death. “We are thankful to the Srinagar Police who have helped us a lot and also ensured that they will investigate the matter fully,” Furqan told The Kashmiriyat.