“A one-room house in the interiors of Rainawari in the old city area and two mentally disturbed siblings. This is what my brother will come back to. If he ever returns,” says Muneer Hussain, a student of class 10.

Muneer’s older brother Mohd Hussain Ashraf had gone to stay over at the house of one of his relatives in Panthachowk on the outskirts of Srinagar. He never returned.

The carpet weaver, who was 18 years old then, was picked up by a company of the 7 Para Rashtriya Rifles on his way back home on May 24, 2003, according to his family.

The family came to know of the arrest by chance. “The police party had stopped at a Mahindra workshop to check their vehicle. My brother had quickly passed on the message to one of the employees there and asked him to inform the family,” he adds.

The proof for them is the vehicle number, which they have mentioned in the FIR. “The party was from Khrew army camp,” adds 16-year-old Muneer.

The next day, the family tried approaching the camp authorities but in vain. Finally, when they were able to speak to the higher officials there, they refused to acknowledge the arrest. “They simply said we haven’t picked up anybody,” he says.

The family alleges that the local Panthachowk police did not file a missing complaint on time and it was after constant pursuance that the FIR was finally registered on June 5, 2003.

... contd.