It was midnight. The darkness had slightly engulfed Daribal Khanyar. And Bashir Ahmad Sofi was in his dreams. Suddenly, the calm of the night was shattered by a knock and so were the dreams of the Sofi -- the troops of 61 battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) barged into the home and took him away. That was the last day when the family had slept in peace.

Four years ago, it was the night of June 17 when Sofi, a resident of Daribal Khanyar in Srinagar, was picked by the Border Security Forces. And since then, he is missing in their custody. "They dragged him out of his bed and caught him by his hair," says his ailing mother, Fatima Begum. A businessman, Sofi used to trade in shawls most of the year outside his home state. "He was the only bread winner for our family. All his life, he lived to fulfill my wishes but when I need him the most he is nowhere," sobs Begum.

After Sofi's arrest, the family first destination was the local police station -- to lodge an FIR. "We approached the police with high hopes. And they also assured us that they will look for him and trace him. The then Superintendent of Police (south) also gave us assurances. But their assurances are not fulfilled till date," adds Begum.

Later, the family approached the BSF's 61st battalion that had arrested Sofi. "I had visited the camp of 61 battalion of BSF just a day after he was arrested, but they denied his arrest," Fatima says.

... contd.