GHULAM Nabi Bhat, a resident of Lorrow Jageer Tral, and an orderly nurse in the Government Medical College, Srinagar. He was putting up in a rented accommodation in Srinagar's Natipora locality. In August 1991, he was allegedly picked by Border Security Forces (BSF) after a grenade attack rocked Natipora.

Since then, there is no news about him. Bhat's family in south Kashmir was informed about the arrest three days after the incident by his landlord. "Bhat's landlord told us that on August 21, 1991 at around 9.30 pm, a BSF party barged inside the house after a grenade attack and picked him up. That night another man of the locality was picked up by the BSF," says Bhat's relative Nabi Ahmed, who has been following the case from past 17 years.

"When we came to know about the arrest we immediately rushed to Srinagar to start the search. Soon after we met the then Senior Superintendent of Police K Rajendra who assured us his safe release," he says.

"But later no one acknowledged his arrest." Two years after, 28-year-old Bhat went missing, the family had finally some hope of meeting him, but they were not so lucky. "Two years after Bhat went missing we met senior politician M L Fotedar who wrote a letter to the Governor to look into the matter. The then Governor subsequently wrote to Director General of Police and we were told Bhat is admitted in Army Hospital," recalls Ahmed.

"We were also given a written permission to meet Bhat in the hospital. But when we went to the hospital we could not trace him." The family also moved to court to seek justice, but the court is yet to deliver its decision on this missing case.

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