SRINAGAR: Arshad Hussain a mechanical engineer returned from a short stint at a computer institute abroad to his Idgah house on June 2. He was last seen when he was being dragged by a CRPF jawan from his sister’s house at Nawa Bazar on the night of June 7 and 8 at about 12:20 pm. Eight days after his bullet riddled decomposed body was recovered from the Jhelum. The recovery of the body only proved the house-boat men and other residents of Zania Kadal correct who said they heard gunshots being fired on the bridge at around 1:30 a m the dying cry of a man and then a splash of something being thrown into the Jhelum. They also claim to have seen some CRPF jawans cleanse the bridge of blood under the glare of as arch light a few minutes later on the night of June 7-8 Hussain’s brother-in-law an engineer in the state government Mr Muzzafar Khan and his father panicked when there was no news about him in the following days. Others who were picked up by the security forces after a grenade attack on a patrolling CRPF party at Nawa Bazar had either been let off or arrested by the security forces. To the dismay of Arshad Hussain’s relatives the CRPF personnel denied they had anything to do with the incident.

The family with the help of a local journalists living in the vicinity tried to find the most probable story behind Hussain’s disappearance

He was killed by CRPF men and his body thrown into the Jhelum. The boatmen living in the shikaras’ under the bridge and the residents living on the banks of the river talked in hushed tones about the midnight incidents on the bridge when the news of a missing man reached them they talked about the case more openly and it was not difficult for the family to correlate the incidents The police registered a case based on the statements of the family and residents of the area.

According to family sources Hussain had come to his sister’s house to consult a local bone specialist for an ailment and decided to stay overnight in view of curfew restrictions in the city. A CRPF party was fired at by some militants near the house following which the CRPF men searched all houses in that area and took away at least five youths including Hussain They blindfolded him with a bandage which was wrapped around my son’s wound and took him away despite our pleadings the boy’s father said. Residents of Zaina Kadal on the morning of June 8 saw blood trickling from the middle of the bridge to its sides from where they suspect the body to have been thrown into the river.

While investigations are on the CRPF deny any involvement The CRPF has however been withdrawn from the area and replaced by the BSF.

The DIG of the CRPF Mr Suri comings in the preliminary inquiry made by them into the incident.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 28, 1991