Conflict

One year on, no headway in Batmaloo killing: ‘No one can bring Sajad back’

Srinagar: It has been a year since Border Security Force (BSF) hit Sajad Ahmad Shiekh, an 11 year and thirteen days old boy, with a bullet right on his head, near his rented residence in Sheikh Dawood Colony, Batmaloo. The family no more lives there. They chose to stay at their old residence as the deafening silence that came with their beloved’s death haunts them. The case hasn’t moved forward as of yet.

“At 7.05 in the evening, we lost him on April 15. Yes, it was the day,” says Sajad’s father Gulam Hassan Sheikh who frequently follows his son’s case in the city yet tries to stay away from it.

Soon after Sajad passed away, Hassan couldn’t continue earn a living. He had set up barbeque kiosk in the Batamaloo yard and Sajad, apart from studying would help him with making and sell the barbeques.

“The street where he was shot haunts me, the doors of our home that he had touched haunts me, the room we would sit together haunts me, the utensils, the tap, the windows and his school tiffin box, and everything would make us feel his loss. So, we chose to go back to our place for some time,” shares Hassan.

Ghulam Hassan

At present, the family is at their place in Dodbug Chundoosa area of Baramulla district. Since April 14, neighbours, relatives, friends and politicians have been visiting them there but “no one can bring Sajad back.”

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“MLA Sangrama was here. Everyone came to pray for him and console us. They can’t bring him back but we know he is at a better place in the heavens,” says Hassan adding that he would be visiting Srinagar on April 16 to again start his business.

“We cannot afford not to earn. My elder son Mehraj has set up a shop in Baramulla. I also need to help the family to sustain. And we will keep on fighting for justice,” he says adding that Sajad’s case with FIR No. 53/2017 under RPC, under section 302 that includes murder, was registered by the police against the BSF in the evening at Police Station Batmaloo has not moved forward.”

“They had come to negotiate with us. But we don’t want any negotiations,” he says. He wants the accused to be punished.

While the family and friends mourn his death, police says that the case is still under investigation.

“We are investigating the case. No negotiations have been asked for. See, it’s a murder case and we need witnesses. Only after that we would be able to arrest the accused and look at the evidences. Here, people talk a lot but nobody comes forward to register a statement. But we are trying,” Station House Officer Batmaloo told Free Press Kashmir.

However, Hassan refuted the police statement that no witnesses came forward to record statements.

“Around seven men went to the police station and recorded their statements there and then. These included some elderly men from the colony. They had even said that they would go to the High court, if they had to. I met them today and even asked if the police called them. They denied,” Hassan said.

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