18 year old Aqib Gulzar

‘Arrested for being affiliated with Jamaat family’

“When they entered the house, they banged the doors and windows of the house,” Sartaj recalled when the police party entered the house under the pretext of a search operation four days ago.

 “They said they had information of militants’ presence inside the house”.

Sartaj said the police party lead by Rashid Khan of Bijbehara police station had arrived in seven vehicles to raid their house.

Sartaj said he woke the 18 year Aqib Gulzar as he was in deep slumber.

Soon after, he said that the policeman grabbed Aqib by his collar and dumped him in their vehicle without explaining as to why he was being taken away.

“They found nothing, but picked up Aqib. We yelled and pleaded before them, but to no avail,” Sartaj recalled.

When he was being taken away, Sartaj said that Aqib’s two ailing grandparents and two sisters were crying inconsolably .

After the arrest of Aqib, the family had to bear more shocks.

Father of Aqib Gulzar, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Tehsil president, Anantnag Gulzar Ahmad Bhat too was arrested in Bijbehara police station on the following day on Friday.

“He had gone to seek release of his son, but instead he was arrested too,” a family member said.

“When Gulzar went to police station, the cops inquired about his work. He said he was a farmer and member of JeI. The moment he said he was JeI member, he was arrested”.

President Tehsil Anantnag, Gulzar Ahmad

The family members also rejected the police claim that said Aqib was involved in stone pelting.

“Although there was stone pelting in the area, Aqib was working in the field for the whole day,” the family claimed.

“It was a complete shock. How can they arrest a father and his son and lock them up together,” Gulzar said.

“All the family members, his wife and daughters are in deep shock”.

50 year old Gulzar Ahmad is a lone bread earner of a family of seven members which includes two of his elderly parents and two unmarried daughters

Asked why the father son duo were held, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Anantnag, Altaf Khan said that said that the duo were booked under a cognizable act.