Seven months pregnant, mother of one dies under mysterious conditions in Kupwara; Family alleges murder

September 30, 2025 by News Desk

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Rayees Shah

Grief and shock gripped Wahipora village of Langate in Handwara late Sunday night as news spread that a young pregnant mother had died under mysterious circumstances. Wails echoed through the narrow lanes as relatives and neighbours gathered, mourning what many described as a “tragedy that should never have happened.”

“She was so young, with her whole life ahead of her,” said a neighbour, standing among the crowd of mourners. “Every home here is shaken. If women are not safe in their own houses, where are they safe?”

The deceased, identified as 27-year-old Gousia Jan, had been married for five years and was the mother of a four-year-old daughter. According to her family, she had long been a victim of domestic violence. “One year after her marriage, the couple began living separately. We even gave them a house for three years, but he tortured her many times,” her brother Firdous Ahmed told The Kashmiriyat.

On Sunday evening, Firdous said, his sister was on a phone call with another sibling in Srinagar when her husband allegedly threatened to hit her with a cup. “The call suddenly disconnected. Moments later, neighbours phoned us saying she had been murdered,” he recalled.

When her brothers rushed to the hospital, they found her dead. “Instead of telling us what happened, her in-laws beat us there,” Firdous alleged. “She was seven months pregnant. This is not one killing, this is a double murder. We want justice.”

Her cousin, Mohammad Shafi Lone, added that she had visible marks on her neck. “She had been suffering for years in silence. We knew she was being abused, but she always tried to cover it up,” he said.

Villagers in Wahipora demanded accountability and stronger protections for women. “Such incidents keep happening, and nothing changes,” said one mourner. “We cannot keep burying our daughters and pretending things are normal.”

Police officials said they have taken cognizance of the case and that an investigation has been launched to establish the cause of death.

Domestic violence cases in Jammu Kashmir have been steadily rising, according to recent reports. Data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) shows that over 13% of ever-married women aged 18-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence since marriage, with husbands being the most common perpetrators. Nearly 9.6% of women in this age group reported domestic abuse (physical or sexual) in 2019-20. Rural areas saw higher levels than urban ones.

Support mechanisms have also seen increased demand. Over the past three years, Jammu Kashmir’s One Stop Centres have assisted more than 6,400 women facing domestic violence. In Bandipora district alone, nearly 400 cases were handled by such centres between 2020 and late 2023, with a sharp rise in recent months.