On Wednesday, the authorities handed over the dead body of youth, Abdul Rashid Dar, who was missing since December 2022 to his family from Kunan after nearly three months.
Locals told The Kashmiriyat that the dead body of Abdul Rashid Dar who went missing on 15th December after army detained him has been handed over to family in Kupwara at around 4:45 pm, following which hundreds have gathered for his funeral.
Raising slogans and demanding justice for Abdul Rashid, the local residents also demanded an investigation into the incident.
They said that the dead body of Abdul Rashid was found in a nearby Zurhama forest area, after which the dead body was shifted to the hospital.
Officials at the hospital confirmed that the body was brought to the health centre for the medico-legal formalities, a development confirmed by a family member of the deceased youth
Earlier today, several banners were sighted in the area stating March 01, 2023 as Abdul Rashid’s shahadat (martyrdom) date. Several people had also gathered at his residence.
The locals confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that the family was called in by the authorities to identify Rashid’s dead body, following which his body was taken to a hospital in order for the medico-legal formalities to be completed.
In continuation to missing of Abdul Rashid Dar of Kunan area of Kupwara on December 16, 2022 today early in the morning a dead recovered from Zurhama -PK Galli forests, Police said in its statement.
In its press statement, Police said that the dead body was brought to SDH Kupwara where it was identified by the relatives of missing person.
“After completing all medico-legal formalities including post mortem by a team of doctors, the dead body was handed over to the family members for burial. Cognisance of the matter has been taken for further investigations,” police added, stating that the details will be shared.
The matter came to the fore on December 22, 2022, when Rashid’s family staged a protest at Srinagar’s Press Colony demanding Lieutenant General (LG) Manoj Sinha’s intervention into the matter.
The family said that armed forces had picked Rashid from his home on December 15, while he was having dinner. The family was also assured that he will be released soon. However, the next day, the family was told by the authorities that Rashid had managed to flee from their custody.
On December 22, the authorities released a notice stating that Abdul Rashid had gone missing. The notice included phone numbers for helping the authorities locate him.
The family including Rashid’s mother staged another protest on January 17, at Lal Chowk, Srinagar, demanding answer from the authorities into the disappearance of her son. Many social and political activists had also joined Rashid’s mother Khera Begum at Lal Chowk, in demanding justice for the family.
“They (Army) did not tell any of the family members the reason why he (Rashid) was being detained. I tried to plead with the Army that my son was innocent, but they snatched him away from me. I followed them to the Police station and in the meanwhile, my daughter got the local Sarpanch to the Police station,” she had said.
She also added that they (the mother and local Sarpanch) handed over Abdul Rashid to the Army on 15 December, after they (Army) said he (Abdul Rashid) was needed for questioning.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara Yougal Manhas had said that a youth Abdul Rashid Dar of Kunan Poshpora was picked up for questioning in connection with a militancy case and he managed to give a slip to forces while on way to a hideout.
He said that the youth Abdul Rashid Dar son of Muhammed Sidique Dar of Kunan Poshpora, was picked up for questioning related to a militancy case.
“On his revelation about the hideout, he gave a slip to the forces. We are investigating in which circumstances he managed to flee. We are in touch with his family also,” he had said.