NISHAT (Srinagar): On the afternoon of May 3, 2025, Anwar Begum, 45 years, prepared tea in the make-shift tent in Nishat area of Srinagar, served it to her husband and daughter, Khalida, and hurriedly took a flock of goats to graze.
Belonging to the Bakerwal nomadic tribe, the family had just migrated from Reasi to Brein Nishat a week or so before that, as part of their bi-annual move between the summer and winter zones. They were halting there and preparing to leave for the nearby Zabarwan mountains in a few days.
When the goats returned without Anwar, her family was perturbed by her absence. It was unusual.
Her husband and daughter rushed outside to search for her in the nearby pastures. They were horrified to see that Anwar was pinned to the ground and was struggling against a young man in his 20s leaning over her and trying to strike her head with a stick.
Alarmed, her husband shouted to his daughter, "Come here, someone is hitting Anwar!"
At the sound of his voice, the attacker dropped the stick and attempted to flee the scene. Meanwhile, Anwar’s son had also reached the spot, and he quickly apprehended the assailant.
“I did nothing,” the youth, wearing trousers that had fresh blood stains, said as he was caught.
By the time Anwar’s daughter rushed to the bushes where she was lying, she found her mother unconscious, blood oozing from her body.
They immediately rushed her to the Sub Divisional Hospital in Hazratbal, Habak, with the assistance of local residents who helped carry her to the hospital. At that time, she was still alive.
But she was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Before being assaulted causing her death, she had been gang-raped, the doctors confirmed.
The Nishat police station registered a First Information Report (FIR) No. 35/2025 on May 5 under the relevant sections of the BNS (Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita) and initiated an investigation into the matter. Four suspects — Suhail Bashir Bhat, Adil Ali, Firdous Ahmad Rather, and Suhail Afzal Bhat—all local residents, have been arrested. All four are in the age group of 20-24.
The investigation is ongoing, and the police stated, "We cannot disclose any details until the investigation is complete.
Nomads & Locals Still in Shock
Almost two months since the incident, even as the mourning is over, Anwar’s family and the community is unable to get over the shock of the incident.
Anwar’s sister-in-law is still in disbelief and shakes her head and says, “in my 40 years, I have never witnessed such brutality from close quarters.”
“It has shattered our sense of safety,” she adds.
Khalida, Anwar’s elder daughter chips in, “though we hear of rapes happening, something like this never happened here….. it has not happened in our camp ever. Our family has been coming here for decades.”
Khalida says that before this incident they would move freely in the forests and meadows without fear. “Our lives revolve around regular movement – grazing animals or gathering firewood. How do we now find the courage to continue doing this?”
Nusrat, her young sister, echoes Khalida’s fears.
"I don’t go outside anymore; the threat still lingers in my mind. I constantly fear that what happened to my mother could happen to me as well. They raped and killed her, and I live with that horror every day."
“During the day, it still feels safe because one can see people around. But as dusk falls, the fear returns.”
"Since my mother’s death, we have not had a moment of restful sleep. From that day until now, we literally cannot sleep. We live in constant fear, worrying that someone might come and do the same to us," Khalida said.
Locals Outraged but Tribals Skeptical
The incident also sparked outrage among the locals, who blame the increase in drug abuse and alcohol consumption in the area. Following their complaints, the police is also looking into the connection of drug abuse and the incident.
The nearest local settlement to the tribals’ camp is about a kilometre down the hill.
A Water Works employee, posted in the area, told the Kashmir Times that he has often seen young boys and men frequenting the nearby forest area and suspects they may be consuming drugs.
The local residents are equally worried about the safety of the women. “This has made our lives extremely insecure,” a local woman said, adding, “I am scared to even move out of my house. I hesitate to go even if it is for completing my daily chores,” she adds.
Despite the outrage of the locals, the nomadic community are a bit skeptical.
Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, spokesperson for the Chopan Welfare Association, says the incident is worrying for the community and highlights it may have caused a wedge between them and the locals in the area. Chopans, another tribal community, are closely related to the Bakerwals.
“Our community is often viewed with contempt and when we move with our cattle and sheep, the people look at us with disdain,” he says. The mistrust between the locals and the tribals has existed for years even as there has been mutual co-dependence as locals purchase milk and dairy products from the tribals.
The mistrust is further deepened after the rape and murder incident in which four of the accused are locals from the area, as revealed by the Police. The residents who condemned the incident admit that at least three of them are from the area but they distanced themselves from the accused, blaming increasing drug addiction and alcoholism.
As for the tribals, the incident has made the women particularly insecure. While many hesitate to go out for their daily chores, Bhat said, "they are actively stopping women from going to the highland pastures, curbing the movement of women which may have an adverse impact on the sustainable lives of the nomadic communities in which women play a major role outside their make-shift homes."
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