• Relatives, locals block road, demand arrest of those responsible; police assure fair probe
Srinagar|Oct, 19: The body of a 28-year-old labourer who went missing after travelling to Punjab for work reached his native village in south Kashmir’s Kokernag on Monday, triggering protests by grieving family members and locals who alleged that he had been murdered.
The protesters blocked a road and later assembled outside Police Station Kokernag, demanding an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Aijaz Ahmad Dar’s death and the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Dar, son of Abdul Majeed Dar and a resident of Darpora, Hallpora, Gadool in Kokernag, had been missing for weeks. His family said they lost contact with him after he travelled outside Jammu and Kashmir in search of employment.
According to a family member, Dar had initially gone to Srinagar for work before moving to Ludhiana in Punjab. The family remained in contact with him over the phone for about a week, but his phone was subsequently switched off, leaving them unable to reach him.
With no information about his whereabouts, the family and local residents staged a protest in Hallpora on October 17, seeking urgent intervention to trace him.
The return of his body on Monday sparked fresh protests, with relatives and locals raising slogans and demanding justice. Family members were seen grieving as they sought answers about the circumstances in which Dar died.
A police officer said a missing report regarding Dar had been lodged on September 26. The officer said the protesters were assured that the case would be investigated fairly and taken to its logical conclusion.
Later the protesters dispersed after receiving the assurance from the police.
