With his ten year old son in his lap, Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar looks up at the ceiling of his room with pensive eyes. A few minutes later as little Susan gets down from his lap, Ahangar draws his knees up to his chin and says, “I have nothing new to add to my poignant tale that I have already recounted umpteen times.”
For Ahanghar, nothing has changed over past ten years asjustice for his deceased wife and sister continues to be elusive.
“The justice delivery system in this part of world standsfrozen,” said Ahanghar, gesturing towards a banner that carries the imagesof his sister and wife.
On May 29, 2009, the afternoon sun had shone bright againstthe brilliant blue sky. Ahangher’s wife Neelofar and his sister Asiya went totheir small orchard across the Ranbi Ara rivulet, gurgling through the heart ofsouth Kashmir’s Shopian district.
When they failed to show up at home till late, a desperateAhangar went straight to the farm to look for them. He, however, did not findthem there and finally dropped in on the police station.
The police accompanied by Ahangar went to the spot andsearched for the women. However, according to Ahangar, they suddenly called offthe searches after a few hours.
On the next morning, their life-less bodies with tatteredclothes were found in the area. The family of victims and locals said that theywere raped and then murdered.
“Since then I have been waiting for justice. Weobserved a shutdown for nearly two months, held peaceful protests but to noavail,” said Ahangar.
He added that all investigations taken up by both state andcentre dispensations were a smokescreen used to shield the perpetrators.
He, however, said that he would never cave in to anypressure.
“I am relentless in my pursuit for justice. Come whatmay,” Ahangar said.
Four years after the incident, three interlocutors– DilipPadgaonkar, Radha Kumar and M.M. Ansari–appointed by Central government,visited Ahangar’s home and promised justice.
Although Ahangar asked the interlocutors that they had beenappointed for altogether a different purpose, he was replied that the issue ofthe justice of his deceased wife and sister was also related to their mandate.
“I did not know what happened to the report theysubmitted with the government,” said Ahangar.
“I have now completely lost faith in all institutions here.I demand a probe by an independent international agency into the incident,”Ahangar said.