10yrold boy’s mutilated body found in Kupwara

Umar Farooq, a Class 3 student, went missing on Monday, his naked, partiallyburnt and decomposed body was found on Thursday

murder of a 10-yearold boy has sparked shock and anger across the Kashmir valley. The discovery of the boy’s mutilated body on Thursday triggered a virtual shutdown in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday.

Umar Farooq, a Class 3 student, went missing after he left his home in Gulgam village of Kupwara for the market on Monday afternoon. His mutilated body was found by villagers in a stream not far from his home on Thursday evening, police said.

Amid mounting calls for the culprits to be traced, police filed a murder case and constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to be headed by the additional superintendent of police, Kupwara. Senior superintendent of police Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar will supervise the probe.

“This is a very horrific crime and we will leave no stone unturned to get to the roots of it,” Dinkar said.

Villagers said the body was found naked, partially-burnt and his left arm was missing. Police said the body was putrefied.

Asked about the possible motives of the murder, the officer said it was too early to speculate. “We are working on all angles,” the SSP said.

The boy’s father is a labourer and his mother is a peon in a school.

Businesses and shops were closed and traffic was thin in Kupwara district on Friday. A policeman was injured in a scuffle with some youths protesting the murder. The district administration closed Kupwara and Sogam colleges and suspended internet services.

“..Umar will never come back now. The only thing we want is that the investigations happen in a fair manner. The pain we are suffering will ease when the murderer is unmasked,” a relative of Umar told reporters.

Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid promised to crack the case soon, prompting a tweet from Peoples Conference president and legislator from Handwara, Sajad Lone.

“Thanks @spvaid for constituting SIT. The perpetrators of this brutal horrendous act have to be punished. I am a father of two young children. Whole night was thinking about his final moments-the blows rained on him severing his arm and burning the face,” Lone wrote.

Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti also took to Twitter to say she was shocked by the savage attack. “The charred and disfigured body of a ten year old minor found in Kupwara is savage beyond imagination. If this doesn’t shake the faith of our society what will?” she tweeted.

We are working on all angles. This is a horrific crime and we will leave no stone unturned to get to the roots of it.

AMBARKAR SHRIRAM DINKAR, SSP