Bride Still Wore Henna, Mother Awaited Medicine – Police Brought Home a Young Man’s Corpse

Srinagar:Mohammad Parvez, a 22-year-old from the tribal Gujjar community of Surat Chak in Jammu, had stepped out of his home in the evening of July 24 to buy medicine for his ailing mother.

It was something he had done many times before. He told his family he would not be long. Recently married, he was the kind of son, claim people known to him, every parent prays for – hardworking, humble and devoted to his family.

What should have been a short walk to the pharmacy ended in tragedy. Nearly ne-and-a-half hours after he left home, by 6:30 p.m., shooting began in Surat Chak. Panic rose quickly.

Worried and confused, Parvez’s family heard he had been taken to the Bakshi Nagar Police Station. They rushed there, praying he was only injured. But what awaited them shattered their world.

He was dead.

At the police station, family members allege, they were initially not even allowed to see the body. It was allegedly only after desperate appeals that they were permitted to identify him.

Rashid Ali, Parvez’s paternal uncle, said his nephew had been shot in the chest. “Our family is in shock. We want an impartial and thorough investigation. We want answers,” he said, with his voice shaking.

Parvez was the youngest of 12 siblings. He had grown up without a father, raised by his widowed mother, in a household that struggled to survive on his earnings from tractor work and sand mining. He was the only one bringing money home.

His death has left an emotional and financial void that words cannot fill. His mother’s health has worsened dramatically. The family fears she may not survive the grief.

His sister, who is due to be married in two months, now spends her days in silence. His young wife, married just a month ago, still had fading henna on her hands when the news came. She has not spoken much since.

And the boy who had left with Parvez that evening, a neighbourhood child, has vanished. The family says they do not know his identity. The police allegedly have not said a word about him either.

Some local news outlets were quick to quote unnamed police sources, suggesting Parvez had been caught in a “shootout” involving suspected drug peddlers. The insinuation stung.

His family rejected the claim outright. “It is a fabrication. Parvez had no criminal record, no run-ins with the police and no enemies. He was just a boy trying to take care of his family,” they said.

So far, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has not released an official version of events. The silence has only deepened suspicions.

Facing mounting public pressure, the police have announced a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged killing. Headed by DYSP Mudasir Ahmad, the SIT includes SHO Parvez Ahmad and officers Altaf and Athar from Basant Gung Police Station.

In what appears to be a significant development, Jammu Senior Suprintendent of Police Joginder Singh ordered the suspension of several officials from the District Special Branch. The suspensions were linked to FIR No. 153/2025, registered on July 24 at Satwari Police Station.

The FIR invokes sections 109(1) (preventive detention) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 3/27 of the Arms Act, which covers unlawful possession or use of firearms.

The officers in question have been transferred to District Police Lines and ordered to hand in their uniforms. A departmental inquiry is now underway.

Meanwhile, the district magistrate of Jammu too has ordered a magisterial inquiry, to be led by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Jammu South. A report is expected within two weeks.

The police have since visited Parvez’s home, offering condolences. Deputy Superintendent of Police Mudasir Ahmad collected documents to initiate the process for a government job for one of the family members. A compensation package of Rs 35 lakh has been announced, along with the promise of a government post for a next of kin.

“No money can replace the life our son,” the family said.

The killing has struck a raw nerve across Jammu and Kashmir. On July 25, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah issued a statement calling the death “deeply regrettable”.

“Jammu and Kashmir has paid a heavy price for such incidents in the past. We cannot allow indiscriminate use of force,” he said.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was more direct. “This is another example of misuse of power. He was falsely labelled a drug dealer,” she said.

National Conference leader Javed Ahmed Rana raised the matter with top officials. “An inquiry is underway. We will not allow this to be brushed aside,” he promised.

The deceased home has become a stop for politicians from across party lines, the PDP, the Congress, the National Conference, among others, all offering condolences. Even Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who travelled from outside the Union Territory, came to pay his respects.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, South Kashmir MP Mian Altaf said that a young man named Parvaiz was killed in a recent incident in Jammu.

“I urge the Home Minister to take immediate steps to stop these innocent killings. The perpetrators of Parvaiz’s murder must be brought to justice,” he said.

Mian Altaf added that many such killings have taken place in the past, yet no concrete action has been taken.

“I demand that strict action be taken in this case, and those responsible for Parvaiz’s death be punished,” he emphasized.

Long marginalised and often unheard, the Gujjar community has risen in protest. Activist Talib Hussain called the alleged killing a “fake encounter”.

Gujjar leader Guftar Ahmed has demanded direct intervention from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

The Gujjar Bakerwal Students Alliance voiced what many are now fearing: “Under the pretext of crime and drugs, Gujjar youth are being selectively targeted. Is this an effort to silence our community?”

They warned that if justice is delayed, they would organise protests, not only state-wide, but on a national level.

“Our son left home to get medicine for his mother, and he never came back. We deserve to know why. We deserve justice,” said Rashid Ali.

Silence is heavy, broken only by the cries of a grieving mother and the muffled sobs of a new widow, in the narrow lanes of Surat Chak. Once held together by a 22-year-old’s hard work and hope, the deceased family now sits broken, waiting for answers and justice that has so often allegedly slipped through the cracks.