By Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: The family members of a Srinagar youth who is reported to have joined militant ranks on Saturday blamed students of Sharda University who assaulted him in the varsity campus on October 4 for their son’s actions.
Ahtesham Bilal Sofi (19), a resident of downtown in Srinagar, was a first-year graduate student at Sharda University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
He was beaten up on October 4 in a case of “mistaken identity” and the video of Ahtesham being assaulted was shared widely on social media. He went missing on October 28 and on Friday his gun-wielding picture along with an audio of “joining ISJK (Islamic States of Jammu and Kashmir),” an outfit influenced by ISIS ideology went viral on social media.
“I strongly believe that he took this extreme step because he was thrashed by some students in the university. He was injured badly when I went to see him in the University,” says Bilal Ahmad Sofi, father of Ahtesham.
Bilal says he went to the university from Srinagar on the same day and he spoke to higher authorities of the university regarding the issue.
“I even met to a senior official from the concerned police station, who asked if I wanted to file an FIR against the students who had thrashed my son. I refused, to do so because I thought the issue would be resolved by the University,” he adds.
Bilal stayed with his son for 7 days and during the time he was approached by the accused students for an apology.
“Ahtesham told me they not only have beaten him but also two Kashmiri girls in the university. The accused students came to meet me and they apologised for the same I told them you are just like my own children and everything is going be fine but couldn’t imagine that their action would let my child to militancy,” Bilal says.
Sitting with other members of the family, Irfana Begum, his mother, has been left devastated ever since she saw Ahtesham’s gun-wielding photo. She can’t believe that her lone son is not with her anymore. She made a desperate appeal to him to return home for the sake of his ailing father.
Ahtesham went missing on October 28 after he left the varsity with formal permission to go to Delhi. On 2nd November, he took everybody by surprise when his photograph and an audio message made rounds on social media that he had joined “militant ranks”.
“This is a message to all who consider Jihad is a way of fighting,” he is heard saying in the purported audio. “Our blood is not white, we will give you tears of blood. I was looking into the eyes of those kufaar (non-Muslims) when they attacked me in groups like dogs; I felt I had delayed to be part of Jihad for long. But not anymore.”
While referring to his audio clip his father feels that the assault forced him to join militant ranks.
“Can’t you listen what he says in audio,” Bilal says as he breaks down in tears, adding, “the attack might have affected him mentally.”
The anxious family members of Ehtisham while appealing to “all militant organisations” that he is the lone son of his parents, said, “Please send back my Ahtesham; there is no one to look after us. I appeal to Zakir Mussa and resistance leadership to help me to get my son back,” says Irfana.
Police sources while talking to TwoCircles.net said they are verifying the picture of Ahtesham joining militant ranks.
“It can’t be ruled out that he has joined militant ranks because of the assault, but first of all we are verifying whether this image of him claiming to join militancy,” said a police officer who wished not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media.
When asked how he joined militancy in such a short period of time, he said, “everything will be revealed after investigation, it’s not right time to talk” adding that Ahtesham had been an active stone pelter earlier.
Former Chief Minister of the state Omar Abdullah termed Ahtesham’s joining of militant rank as ‘hugely worrying.’
“If this is genuine it’s hugely worrying. Sometimes seemingly small actions have huge consequences. If what happened to him at #ShardaUniversity has lead him to choose such a destructive path it’s even more tragic. One more life on the path to ruin & one more family in turmoil.” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
Despite repeated attempts, Sharda University didn’t respond to the phone calls of this reporter.
