South Kashmir: 12 braid chopping incidents reported in a week

Neyaz Elahi
Kulgam, Sep 23 (Only Kashmir): Twelve incidents of braid chopping in just a week’s time in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district have created a fear psychosis among people. Police are still clueless and till failed to get any clue or lead in solving the mystery.
In a fresh incident on Saturday, the braid of a 15-year-old girl Fancy Jan daughter of Abdul Hamid Dar was chopped off when she was doing work in her kitchen at Naikpora Kulgam.
The incident sparked protest while people alleged that police have not been taking the incidents seriously, a charge refuted by Kulgam police station head, Muhammad Athar Khan who told news agency CNS that police can’t-do anything unless and until the victims speak out.

“We are unable to do anything because victims are narrating nothing. We are ourselves baffled,” Khan said.
Out of 12 braid chopping incidents, police have registered formal FIR’s in over 8 cases while some victim families have not reported the incidents to police. The victims are not only teenage girls but also married women. Ulfat Begum wife of Sartaj Ahmed of Banimula Kulgam, Rani Jan wife of Bilal Ahmed of Ikhwan Colony and Shakira Bano wife of Bilal Ahmed of DH Pora are among the victims who are middle-aged women.
Police identified some of the teenager victims as Ishrat Hasan (FIR number 48/2017), Asmat Manzoor of Milipora (FIR number 49/2017) and Bisma Hasan of Devsar (FIR number 50/2017).
The relatives of latest victim Fancy Jan said that they found her unconscious with her braid cut in the kitchen. “After regaining conscience, she said she felt something from the back and lost her senses.”
A few days’ back, police had arrested a non-local for her alleged involvement in braid chopping incident in Chamer DH Pora village. “We questioned him but the allegations proved wrong. Even the local Auqaf Committee vouched for his innocence as according to them the accused used to work in the house of the victim and he has no role in the incident,” said Kulgam Police Station Head Muhammad Athar Khan.

Locals are shocked and scared. Some locals believe that a group of non-locals is active who do it for attaining so-called magical powers on the directions of their so-called Gurus. “I heard that some people believe that they will possess magical powers if they cut the hair of females. This is the work of such group and there is nothing magical,” said Javaid Ahmed.
“Whatever it is, we are investigating the matter seriously,” said police officer.