Shopian: A complete shutdown is being observed in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday to mark the ninth death anniversary of Asiya and Neelofar.
Joint Hurriyat Leadership – an amalgam of separatist outfits – has called for shutdown in the district against the twin deaths.
All shops and other business establishments are closed while public transport is off the roads. However, few private vehicles were seen plying on some link roads of the district.
Asiya and her sister -in-law Neelofar were allegedly raped and murdered by government forces on this day in 2009. Their bodies were retrieved from a local stream, Ranbi Ara.
After an investigation led by Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the case was handed over to India’s premier investigating agency CBI.
However, the agency, in its report, while ruling out the possibility of rape, had termed drowning as the cause of their death.
The locals rejected the CBI report by calling it a tactic to hush up the matter. Massive protests had erupted in the district following the deaths.
