Fourteen years after he went missing allegedly in army custody, the family of Manzoor Ahmad Dar from Rawalpora today gave up their hopes of finding him alive as they conducted his funeral prayers in absentia here.
Hundreds of residents from Rawalpora and adjoining areas joined the 'gayebana nimaz-e-jinaza' (prayers in absentia) for Dar, a chemist by profession, even as the markets in the area observed a shutdown.
However, the family has not given up hope on getting justice as they appealed to the Supreme Court to hear the case on fast track basis.
This is for the first time that the family of any disappeared person organised funeral prayers in the Valley where hundreds of people have been reported missing in the last two decades.
Senior leader of hardline Hurriyat Conference Peer Saifullah led the funeral prayers of Dar. JKLF Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik also attended the funeral prayers.
"We will continue our fight for justice. My father was taken away by Army and I appeal Supreme Court to hear the case on fast track basis so that those guilty are punished," Bilquees Manzoor, daughter of Dar, said.
She said the family had decided to organise the funeral prayers in absentia after the Special Investigation Team of local police concluded that the victim died in custody of Army's 35 Rashtriya Rifles led by Major Kishore Malhotra following his abduction from his residence in January 2002.
"We will not step back after the prayers but will further intensify our struggle to find the mortal remains of my father. We want his grave to be identified and shown to us," Bilquees said.
The chemist was allegedly picked up from his home by unidentified gunmen on the intervening night of January 18 and 19 in 2002 and a case was registered at Police station Saddar in uptown city after massive protests.
Subsequently, during the investigation, the name of Major Kishore Malhotra (now a brigadier) surfaced as an accused.
On November 26, 2015, the SIT - probing the custodial disappearance of Dar -- closed the investigation in the case.
"The custodial disappearance has occurred nearly about 14 years ago which clearly indicates that the disappeared person could have died in custody of 35 RR and accordingly section 302 (murder) of RPC is invoked," the SIT had said in its status report filed before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
The family has filed a case in the Supreme Court against the Army officer and his men.
