Srinagar, August 17, 2011: Srinagar, Aug 17: The pain was visible in her eyes. Grief was hidden behind each word she spoke. Her sun-beaten face clearly suggested how she struggles to fend her family and look for her son who was subjected to enforced disappearance by the Indian paramilitary forces in 1990. Mehtab Begum, the mother of one disappeared from Kupwara, hoped that her son will come home one day despite the passage of two decades.
Mehtab Begum in a media interview said that her son, Muhammad Ayub Khan was detained on October 14, 1990 during a search operation by Indian troops in Kariham in Kupwara. She said that three more youth were also picked up by Indian troops but all of them were released except her son.
Mehtab begum, 75, of Kupwara Karihama appears old to carry on struggle for justice, but she has been resilient to find out the whereabouts of her son.
Apart from visiting jails, she had approached Human Rights Commission of Kashmir. The human rights commission in 2001 had recommended that she be compensated. However, the ruled regime denied any monetary help. She is still fighting.
“My son Muhammad Ayoub Khan was detained on October 14, 1990 during a search operation in our area,” Begum told the local media. “Three more youth were also arrested by the personnel of 56 and 76 battalion of Border Security Force (BSF). However all of them were released except my son.”
The aggrieved mother said that Ayub (28) was married, and has three children, including one son and two daughters. She said that police did not file any case of disappearance and she approached the High Court of occupied Kashmir.
The court directed the judicial magistrate of Kupwara to hold an enquiry into the disappearance case. “The enquiry revealed that BSF personnel of 56 and 76 had picked Ayub and was disappeared in custody. The High Court directed the police to file an FIR.
“To get him traced or get any compensation was subjected to registration of FIR. Police did not file any case of disappearance. I approached the State High Court,” Mehtab said.
The High Court directed the judicial magistrate Kupwara to hold an enquiry into the disappearance case. “The enquiry revealed that BSF personnel of 56 and 76 had picked Ayoub and he disappeared in their custody. The High Court accepted the report and instructed police to file an FIR”
Police filed an FIR no 1 of 1993, under section 302, 342, and 201 RPC. The investigations could not be initiated against the BSF personnel involved in the incident as government of India refused to grant sanction.
Dejected by the injustice met to her, the mother started searching for her son. She traveled to all the forces camps in area. She visited district jails. She also visited jails in Jammu and different states of India to look out for her missing son. He was found nowhere.
“I had only 2 kanal of land which I sold out to meet the expenses of traveling,” the aged mother Mehtab said.
She had come to Srinagar for telling her woeful tale. As she left, she had no money to pay for the bus fare. The by standers collected money so that she could reach home.
Apart from visiting jails, she had approached the Human Rights Commission (HRC) but could not find the whereabouts of her son.