The family of an award-winning Taekwondo athlete who has represented Kashmir in all-India tournaments, is unaware of his whereabouts since his imprisonment under Public Safety Act.
Sakeena, the mother of the youth, told Kashmir Reader that her son was booked under PSA on September 16, but she was neither given the order nor told of his place of imprisonment.
Ashoo, Sakeena’s son, was arrested by police on September 6 from his home in Padshahi Bagh area of Srinagar. Subsequently, his family moved court to secure bail. On the day the family secured the bail order and went with it to the police station where he was lodged, police told them that Ashoo had been booked under PSA.
“First they told me to get a bail for his release. When we went with the bail order, police told us to bring a car from home to take him away. By the time the car arrived, a police staffer cursorily showed me the order which said my son had been booked under PSA. Since then I have neither been told where he has been lodged nor have I been given the order,” Sakeena said.
The bail granted to Ashoo by the session judge had said, “It is not brought forth as to how the applicant has been connected with the commission of offences and as such, the allegations leveled against the accused come under a serious cloud and cannot be believed and treated as sufficient ground for rejection of the bail. For this I am of the opinion that a good ground is made out against the accused for grant of bail.”
The boy was booked under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 436 (mischief by fire), and 437 (abetment) of the RPC in FIR no 133/16 registered at police station Sadar.
Ashoo, who studies commerce, has won several awards in the sport of Taekwondo. He has also represented Kashmir in Taekwondo tournaments at the all-India level.
The imprisonment of Ashoo has left the family in despair. The five-member family has now been reduced to three members: Ashoo’s elder brother was hit by pellets during the current uprising and has gone outside the state for treatment. “Before my son’s arrest, my husband was taken into custody and asked to hand over his son. It was after I argued with police that my husband was released. Then, one night, they raided my house and took my son away. Where shall I go and find my son? Whom shall I ask?” the mother asked.
(Source: Kashmir Reader)