Almost every day, one opens the pages of news or tunes into the broadcast only to be greeted with tales of horror - someone raped, a woman slain by her in-laws, a sister turning executioner, a friend transforming into a foe. The signs of a decaying society in Kashmir are becoming more pronounced.
There was a time, not so long ago, when a single killing, be it hundreds of miles away in some distant corner of India or the world, would shake this valley to its very core. From Sopore to Shopian, cries of “Neabri che Na Ek Nafran Moarmut Nafar” (one human has slain another) would echo.
Distantly happening incidents horrified us into believing that the skies have turned red (Azi Che Asmaan Wazul) with the blood of a life extinguished. Now, they are happening in our own very courtyards. But Kashmir that once trembled at the thought of a single death has now grown numb to a plague of murders within its own embrace.
Incident after incident, chilling as they all are, such heinous crimes signifying the depravity of some minds, are now being normalised.
Districts once considered peaceful, such as Ganderbal and Budgam, have also found themselves shadowed by crime, marking a shift in the valley’s image as the “Peer Vaer,” the land of saints.
These are not isolated events but part of a broader wave of criminality that has unsettled communities across Kashmir, igniting widespread concern over the rapid moral decline and deteriorating safety within the region.
In July 2025, the tranquil area of Safapora in Ganderbal was shaken by the brutal murder of a 28-year-old woman, a mother of two. Initially reported as a dental emergency, investigations revealed a horrifying truth. The woman’s brother-in-law, Sajad Ahmad, lured her under the pretext of seeking medical help, only to assault and murder her in an isolated field.
This incident underscored a grim reality of the violation of a ‘safe space’ – the home.
The community’s response to the incident was swift. Massive protests erupted, with locals demanding justice and a transparent investigation. The Senior Superintendent of Police assured the public of a thorough probe, leading to the arrest of the accused within a day.
In a case that shocked even veteran investigators, police in Ganderbal arrested a 17-year-old girl for murdering her 14-year-old sister in August 2025. The younger sister, a Class-7 student, was found dead near Batsar-Sehpora road on August 17, 2025.
Initially, the elder sister fabricated a story of kidnapping, claiming that unknown individuals had abducted them both and that she had managed to escape. However, detailed investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) revealed the horrific truth. SSP Khalil Poswal explained that the sisters had gone to their field to recover their mother’s lost watch when an altercation erupted.
In a fit of rage, the elder sister struck her younger sibling with an iron rod. When the younger girl lost consciousness, the elder sister struck again, causing fatal head injuries. CCTV footage and forensic evidence, including bloodstained clothes recovered from a relative’s house and hair strands of the accused found in the deceased’s hands, confirmed the elder sister’s role.
The bond of blood and family had been shattered most tragically. The valley was shocked. How could a sister kill her own sibling over such a dispute? But the chilling story was soon forgotten.
And as if that wound wasn’t deep enough, just days ago in Kangan, Ganderbal, a person took the life of his friend. Friendship, often celebrated as a bond where one soul would willingly sacrifice for another, was reduced to ashes in Kangan, Ganderbal, where 22-year-old Ajaz Ahmed Rather was murdered by his own friends in September 2025.
What initially appeared to be a drowning accident was revealed to be a premeditated murder following a heated argument during a cricket game.
Two acquaintances, Niyazul Haq and Moieen, strangled Ajaz with a wire they had purchased. The act was captured on CCTV footage. After ensuring he was dead, they dumped his body into a power canal to make it appear as an accidental drowning.
Journalist Hadi Hidayat, who visited the grieving family, captured the community’s anguish in these words:
“In my 12 years of journalism, never did I put my camera aside, but today I couldn’t hold back. As Aijaz’s body was carried into the tent, the cries of women, their chest-beating, their pain, it shattered me. I wept with them. Social activist Raja Parvaiz hugged me as he too cried, and beside me, a cop’s eyes were filled with tears. Some stories are too heavy for the lens, they pierce straight into the heart .”
It is in moments like these that Mehjoor’s verse comes alive with bitter resonance:
“Shakli chus insaan magar insaniyat Nish bekhabar”
(Human in face, yet utterly unaware of humanity within”)
This haunting truth, reflected in poetry, mirrors the chilling reality of these crimes. When those capable of such evil roam freely or receive inadequate punishment, society itself trembles at the fragility of trust, the fragility of life, and the erosion of moral conscience.
Kashmiris mourn these incidents, are even horrified by them. But beyond the shock and lip sympathy, there is little done to unravel the underlying factors contributing to the crime or tackling them.
It is largely believed that some of the underlying factors contributing to crime are drug abuse, which has witnessed a phenomenal rise in Kashmir, scaling unemployment, and existing social inequalities. Yet, very few make efforts to address these.
Moreover, there are issues of sensitivity at stake. Media ethics became a significant concern in the Safapora case, where digital platforms violated privacy laws by exposing the victim’s personal details on social media. Syed Nazakat Khaleefa, President of Media Council Ganderbal, rightly pointed out, “People often express sympathy by sharing images of the victim, without realizing that they may actually be contributing to the crime itself”.
A critical question also emerges regarding whether perpetrators receive adequate punishment. The concern is particularly acute when dealing with juvenile offenders. NCRB data shows juveniles in conflict with the law in Jammu and Kashmir increased from 171 in 2020 to 361 in 2022, contrary to the declining national trend.
The paradox of Individuals capable of taking human life being treated as juveniles raises profound questions about justice and deterrence.
Kashmir stands at a critical juncture where it is pitted between the choice of moral renewal and continued decay. The values that form the core of “Kashmiriyat” - tolerance, compassion, and spiritual wisdom must be rediscovered to heal Kashmir’s social fabric.
The three tragic cases chronicled here represent not just individual crimes but symptoms of a deeper malaise affecting Kashmiri society. The betrayal of trust, the breakdown of family bonds, and the erosion of friendship all point to a community struggling with rapid social change, economic pressure, and the loss of traditional moral anchors.
Yet, within this darkness lies the possibility of renewal.
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