by Hilal Shah
KUPWARA: Musatafa Ahmad Sheikh, two time detainee under Public Safety Act (PSA), has gone missing from Tekipora village of Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district leaving his family distraught.
Sheikh, 27, was booked under PSA post the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani in 2016 followed by another detention when scholar-turned militant Manan Wani was killed in 2018.
Maqbool Ahmad, Sheikh’s cousin said, “Few days after Burhan Wani’s killing, he (Sheikh) was arrested outside local Higher Secondary School in Tekipora.”
His initial PSA was quashed after nine months of his detention.
In 2018, Sheikh was again arrested during a night raid by Jammu and Kashmir Police after the killing of Manan Wani.
“He was sent to Kot Balwal jail in Jammu region right after his detention. One year later he was shifted to Sub-district jail in Kupwara where he was kept for 29 days. From there he was shifted to Central Jail Srinagar for 17 months till his release in February this year,” Maqbool said.
Sheikh’s wailing mother, Sharifa Begum told Kashmir Life, “While being in prison in Jammu he had injuries on his left leg. After he was released he started developing pain in his leg.”
As per the family, Sheikh left home on June 24 on the pretext that he has to see a doctor at Kupwara Hospital.
“I gave him Rs 1000 from my pocket. But I didn’t know that he will not return home,” Begum said.
Jamal Sheikh, Sheikh’s uncle,“After he was released his health condition wasn’t fine. He couldn’t earn. He hardly managed to do household chores.”
Sheikh, who has lost his father Abdul Ahad Sheikh is survived by his mother along with an 18 year old younger brother, Bilal Ahmad, and a 15 year old sister Kushboo Jan.
Station House Officer of Police Station Sogam told Kashmir life that a missing report has been registered in the case and the investigations are on.
Meanwhile, Sheikh’s wailing family members have been appealing and asking him to return back home.
