80-yr-old’s long wait for justice ends
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Buddhal (Rajouri), October 6
It was a wait of about four years for 80-year-old Amro Devi, whose five of family members were slaughtered by militants over a land dispute with their neighbours of another community. A local court ordered death sentence to the militant who was instrumental in the gruesome killing. Amro Devi, a resident of Rajnagar is presently putting up in Buddhal along with her surviving family members. She lost her husband Munshi Ram, two sons - Hans Raj and Rajinder Kumar - grand son Soba Ram and grand grand-son Sudesh Kumar, after militants slaughtered them on October 9, 2005.

On October 1, 2009, Principal Sessions Judge Rajouri Subash Chander Gupta awarded death penalty to a guide of militants, who committed murder of five persons of a family.

According to the police, on October 9, 2005, at about 7:00 pm a group of militants entered into the house of Munshi Ram and murdered five persons by slitting their throats. The militants were taken to the house of Munshi Ram by their guide Muhammad Taj of the same area.

“I still recollect that fateful night when militants slaughtered my husband, my two sons, grand son and grand grand son over a land dispute with our neighbours who were having good contacts with militants. They left behind three widows, including me and widows of my two sons and four of my grand children. They should have killed us also as we don’t have any male members in the family left now”, said Amro, with tears rolling down her wrinkled face.

“Is this the Jehad? Killing people and snatching the livelihood of people who have nothing to do with any of their militant activities”, she added. “I know my family members will not come back but at least our wait for justice has finally bore fruit. Even other militants responsible for killing our family members had already got justice from God as all of them were killed by security forces”, says Amro.

Kailash Devi, younger daughter-in-law of Amro Devi, said “When our family members were killed by militants, politicians and bureaucrats used to come to us to console us. The government gave us Rs 1 lakh and then forgot us. The government has dual policy for Kashmiri migrants and migrants from Jammu province”.

They, however, failed to explain as to this family is not getting any sought of relief as Kashmiri migrants are getting.