Accused Indian Army soldier handed over to police

‘Abductor’ remanded to police custody
‘We are dying of starvation: Family members

Indian Army soldier accused of abducting two civilians from Dardpora Kralpora of frontier district Kupwara was remanded to police custody till December 11. Earlier police approached Hari Thregam Army camp on Tuesday evening and detained the accused Territorial man Manzoor Khawaja who is posted there.
Deputy Inspector General of Police for North Kashmir Gareeb Das confirmed to CNS that Manzoor was picked up by police from Territorial Army camp on Tuesday evening. “The Army cooperated with the police and he was detained by the police. He is being questioned. It will be premature to say anything at this stage,” Das said.
Meanwhile police produced the accused Manzoor Khaja in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Mansoor Ahmed. The public prosecutor sought two days time from the court and accordingly the court remanded the accused to police custody till December 11.
Two civilians Ghulam Jeelani Khatana son of Karamuddin and Mir Hussain Khatana son of Muhammad Ismail both residents of Kralapora Dardpora area of North Kashmir’s frontier district Kupwara are ‘untraceable’ since November 17, the day when Indian Army launched a lengthy search operation in Manigah Haihama area. The family members of these missing persons claimed that one Manzoor Ahmed Khwaja son of Ghulam Qadir from Territorial Army working in 160 Batallion Hari Thregam camp took them along on November 17 and since then they are untraceable. An FIR vide number 100/2015 under section 364 already stand registered in police station.
Meanwhile, the family members of these missing persons said that they are dying of starvation as both the heads of their families were sole bread earner for them.
Jeelani has 10 children among them two are blind. His eldest 18 year old son Ishfaq Ahmed told CNS that they are living from hand to mouth since the day his father went missing. “Our father was the sole bread earner. We have nothing to rely upon. Winter is approaching and we fail to understand how to earn a living now,” he said and demanded thorough probe to locate his missing father.
Salima Banoo the wife of another missing person Mir Hussain told CNS that she has to feed her five children and from past few days has been facing enormous problems to run the household affairs. “My husband was the only bread earner for us. We will die of starvation if he will not come back,” she said. (CNS)