Shopian town witnessed a complete shut down followed by protests against the mysterious killing of local property dealer Mohammad Hussein who was actively associated with Majlis Mushawarat Shopian, an organisation seeking justice for two women who were raped and murdered in May.

A team of doctors from Srinagar Medical College accompanied by an FSL team conducted postmortem on the body on Wednesday morning. Shopian Deputy Commissioner Abdul Majid Khanday said the administration was trying to ascertain the cause of death. “He had gone missing on September 5 and his debody was recovered from an orchard. There were no bullet marks on the body,” he said. “The police are investigating.”

Khanday said that since the postmortem of the two women had snowballed into a major controversy, so this time doctors have been called from Srinagar. “After completing formalities, the body was handed over to the family members for burial,” he said.

Khnaday said the situation in the town and its peripheries remained peaceful. In the afternoon, a procession was taken out with the coffin of the deceased. Locals demanded stern action against those behind Hussein’s muder. “We don’t know who has killed our colleague. But, we want a thorough probe of the killing,” said Majlis spokesman Mohammad Shafi Khan. “We will continue our protests until the guilty are exposed,” he said, adding that he was however not sure if the Hussein’s killing was linked to the rape and murder of the two women.

Case handed over to CBI

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