SRINAGAR, July 3: Police have arrested five persons in Kutabal village of central Kashmir district of Budgam allegedly for parading a family including women naked, a first such incident in the valley with a Muslim majority.
This happening was reported only a day after a five-year-old girl was raped by a teenager in the same district, sending shock waves across the valley.
Such cases are rarely reported in Kashmir, a region torn by over two-decade-old violence involving militants and security forces.
Local residents said that on June 28, sarpanch (village head) Aslam Khan and his father, who is deputy sarpanch, along with other 40 men dragged Abdul Majeed and his family out of his house and paraded them in the village. Residents said Majeed was stripped and then forced to walk half a kilometre around in the village.
Superintendent of Police, Budgam, Uttam Chand said an FIR has been lodged in the case. “So far we have no evidence that the sarpanch has paraded the family naked or urinated on the male member of the family. But we are investigating the case,” he said.
The SP added that 14 persons have been named in the FIR and five have been arrested. He said it seems there is rivalry between two groups and they are levelling all sort of allegations. The sarpanch and the deputy sarpanch are at large and police have launched a manhunt.
Locals, however, have a different story to tell.
“Abdul Majeed was at home along with his elderly mother, three children and wife. The sarpanch entered into his room and thrashed him. He dragged him and other family members out. He was beaten mercilessly. His clothes were torn. He was paraded and in the end sarpanch urinated on him in public,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, Majeed’s neighbour.
“They tore the clothes of his wife and his elderly mother also and paraded them too,” he alleged. Mushtaq said when the news spread about the incident, youth from neighbouring village took Majeed to sub-district hospital. “Even though the police recorded the victim’s statement on the same day, no action was taken,” he alleged.
Majeed had land dispute with his uncle, with whom the sarpanch sided, locals said. “They tried to grab his land.”
Police sources said the sarpanch is known as “dabang” sarpanch in the area.
(With inputs from Mail Today)
