SRINAGAR: 75 days after going missing, body of a man from Kunan area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district has been retrieved and given back to family on Wednesday.
“In continuation to missing of Abdul Rashid Dar of Kunan area of Kupwara on December 16,2022 today early in the morning a dead (body was) recovered from Zurhama -PK Galli forests,” a police spokesperson said in a statement, adding, “The body was brought to SDH Kupwara where it was identified by the relatives of (the) missing person. After completing all medico-legal formalities including post mortem by a team of doctors, he said, the body was handed over to the family members for burial. “Cognisance of the matter has been taken for further investigations,” he said, adding, “Further details will be shared.”
At a presser, a police officer had said that the man was allegedly picked up by the army for questioning in connection with militancy related investigation. However the officer had said that he fled from custody.
Pertinent to mention, Dar was allegedly picked up by the army for questioning but had gone missing, triggering protests by his family and relatives.
Abdul Rashid Dar, a driver by profession, as per family was having dinner on December 15, 2022, at around 8:30 pm, when a team of Army soldiers from 41 Rashtriya Rifles unit posted in Trehgam knocked at the door of his house in Kunan village of the frontier district of Kupwara and took him away.
SSP Kupwara Yougal Manhas had earlier said that the youth Abdul Rashid Dar son of Muhammad Siddique Dar of Kunan Poshpora, was picked up for questioning related to a militancy case. “During the preliminary inquiry, it came to the fore that he had disclosed the location of a hideout and when the army took him there, he escaped.”
People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti had also sought the intervention of commander of Army’s 15 Corps. “A youngster detained by Army on 13th December has allegedly escaped from their custody & is now missing. Worrying that a civilian goes missing in Army custody. Request the Core (sic) Commander to kindly intervene,” she tweeted.
