Anantnag: A pall of gloom has descended upon Halpora village in Kokernag after the dead body of 28-year-old Aijaz Ahmad Dar was brought home from Amritsar, Punjab, under mysterious circumstances. Dar was the only brother to six sisters and the sole breadwinner for his family.
Dar, who married six years ago and is survived by his wife and two young children, came from an impoverished household. His father, Abdul Majeed Dar, works as a daily-wage laborer, while his mother is a homemaker.
Speaking to NV101, Abdul Majeed Dar shared details leading up to his son’s disappearance,
In last week of september, Aijaz traveled to Srinagar for labor work. He used to call us every evening to check in. Around that time, a local truck driver from our village, namely Javaid Ahmad and his son Sameer Ahmad, began pressuring him over the phone to come to Shopian to help load an apple truck. Aijaz initially refused, but Javaid and his son kept insisting until my son finally agreed. After loading the truck in Shopian, Javaid and his son took Aijaz along on an out-of-state trip. For the first few days, Aijaz stayed in regular contact with us.”
According to the family, the phone calls abruptly stopped shortly thereafter. Growing anxious after multiple days of silence, the family lodged a missing person report at the Kokernag Police Station.
Their suspicions mounted when the driver, Javaid and his son, returned to the village alone. When questioned about Aijaz’s whereabouts and why his phone was switched off, the driver reportedly gave evasive replies, assuring the family that Aijaz would return soon.
Following the formal missing report, Jammu and Kashmir Police summoned both the family of Aijaz and the driver and his son , subsequently dispatching them to Punjab to trace the missing youth. However, Dar’s father alleged total apathy from local authorities upon arrival in Punjab, He alleged.
“When we arrived in Punjab, the local police did not cooperate with us at all,” Majeed said. “I visited the police station daily, pleading with them for help to locate my missing son, but they paid little attention to our appeals.”
After nearly 22 days, the local Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) contacted me and instructed me to report to the Amritsar Civil Hospital to identify a recovered body. Upon arrival, I immediately recognized my child by a childhood tattoo on his arm. The body was heavily decomposed, indicating he had died several days prior. I observed multiple injury marks across his body, and a steel bangle (kada) had been placed on his wrist an item he never wore.” He said
Meanwhile, With Aijaz’s lifeless body now brought back home, the grieving family has alleged foul play, claiming he was murdered. They have urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration and higher police authorities to conduct a thorough, impartial investigation, interrogate all individuals involved, and deliver immediate justice for their family.
