Dowry Death Sparks Protests At Sgr, Pulwama

Tarigami Seeks SHO’s Suspension

Srinagar – Family members and relatives of Kalsuma, the ill-fated daughter of Abdul Aziz Yatoo of Muran, Pulwama, staged a demonstration to protest the alleged police inaction to bring her killers to book.

Talking to reporters, Kalsuma’s father, Abdul Aziz Yatoo said she was married to Mustafa Bhat son of Ghulam Muhammad Bhat of Chandhaar, Pampore, in 2010. Soon after, her in-laws allegedly began harassing her to demand dowry to enable her husband get a job.

“Her in-laws beat and harassed her in different ways”, said Yatoo, while tears rolled down his cheeks. “She was my beloved who was murdered by her in-laws for dowry”, he said, adding he (Yatoo) had paid Rs 20000  dowry to Mustafa after selling his ancestral land as they continuously harassed and beat Kulsum. He said Kulsum’s in-laws  demanded more dowry to get a government job for Mustafa.

Yatoo said that on October 9, Kulsum’s in-laws made called him to inform that Kulsum was ill. “All of us rushed to her home where we found a large number of neighborers”, said Yatoo, adding that his heart began to beat fast, her mother cried loudly. He said after reaching there they were first told that Kulsum had been hospitalized and after some moments she had died.

“The news of her death came as a rude shock for us”, said yatoo, adding that police had conducted the postmortem on her body and arrested the accused persons for alleged murder of Kulsum. She was pregnant at the time of her death.

“After we went to the police station, Pampore, to file the F.I.R, we were asked to compromise with the murderers and took our signatures on a piece of white paper”, said Yatoo. “We are running from post to pillar for justice, nobody listens. Please let the world know Kulsum’s life has been take away for dowry, she was my beloved daughter”, Yatoo said while crying loudly.

The protesters said that the SHO, Pampore Police station, was trying to cover up the murder allegedly for pecuniary reasons and demanded that a case be registered against him for abetting offenders to evade from the law.

The protesters tried to march on the road but police didn’t allow them to move ahead. They warned that if the police failed to take action against the killers they would begin a hunger strike in Lal Chowk on Eid-ul-Azha.

Later, the protestors staged a sit-in at the Main Chowk, Pulwama, blocking all roads leading to the town. They demanded the deputy commissioner should personally intervene in the matter and get the culprits arrested.

Sources said the assistant commissioner, Revenue, Shah Faisal, assured the protestors of action under rules against the accused. However, the protestors refused to accept the assurances and kept on blocking the road till late in the evening, reports said.

Meanwhile, the CPI (M) leader, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, met with the director-general of police seeking his intervention in the matter. He demanded suspension of the SHO who, he alleged, was involved in a cover-up of the murder case. He also sought setting up of independent team to investigate the case.

Investigation On

Meanwhile, a police spokesman here said the police had already taken cognizance of “suspicious death” of Kalsuma and investigation was going on.

“A lady Kalsuma wife of Ghulam Mustafa Bhat resident of Chandhara, Awantipora, died in suspicious circumstances at SMHS, Srinagar, 9th October after she was shifted from her home to the hospital”, he said.

“Pampore police took the cognizance of the suspicious death and initiated inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC in this regard. During the investigation the postmortem of body was conducted and versa was sent to FSL. The investigation is going on, and will move further after it receives the medical report”, he added. (KNS)

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