THE villagers in this beautiful hamlet of Verinag wondered how Nissar Ahmad Malik managed his family life along with his two daughters, wife, brothers and old parents. The family was an ideal joint family, living happily and enjoying life. But disappearance of Malik in custody changed the fortunes of the family for ever.

The custodial disappearance of Malik also affected the fabric of this ideal family. "The incident has been the biggest jolt to us," said his younger brother Tanveer Ahmad who on advice of the elders married Malik's wife to save the family from reaching penury. Ahmad is now also looking after two grown up daughters of his missing brother.

Malik was a know figure in his village. At, 35, he was a preacher. Being a Jamaat sympathiser, he took keen interest in social works. But to earn his own livelihood, he repaired watches at a small shop. In 1990 troops of 53 battalion of Central Reserve Police Force arrested Malik.

"Inside his own shop, my son was severely tortured before being taken to the camp," said his father Ghulam Rasool.

Hearing the news, Rasool first rushed to Dooru Police Station and filed a missing report. "Without wasting any time I then approached the CRPF officials who had arrested my son," he said. At the camp the old man pleaded innocence of his son and argued with the CRPF officials till he got the shocking news. "The officers denied arresting my son," he said.

But he didn't lose hope. He searched his son in every jail and interrogation centre. But his efforts bore no results. "I also visited infamous Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu," he said. "But there too I could not trace my son."

... contd.