In a landmark verdict delivering long-awaited justice, a local court in Bandipora on Tuesday sentenced Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Abdul Wahid Mir to life imprisonment for the brutal 1993 murder of a civilian. Additional Sessions Judge Susheel Singh convicted Mir for the cold-blooded killing of 32-year-old carpet weaver Mohammad Shafi Hajam in Onagam village. The case, initially closed as “untraced” by investigators, was resurrected after 11 years due to the relentless pursuit of justice by the victim’s family, who braved immense fear and intimidation to come forward.
According to harrowing eyewitness testimony from the victim’s brothers, the tragedy unfolded on December 7, 1993, when Mir and an accomplice, Ali Mohammad Khawja, forcibly took Hajam from his home. Mir then executed Hajam with a point-blank gunshot to the forehead at a nearby graveyard and attempted to set the body ablaze before being stopped by villagers. The terrorists subsequently terrorized the community, threatening anyone who helped the grieving family and circulating posters falsely branding the victim as an informant. For over a decade, the case remained closed until the family’s courage in 2004 led to its reopening, resulting in a fresh investigation and the eventual trial.
The court sentenced Mir to life imprisonment for murder, along with additional rigorous imprisonment terms for destruction of evidence and arms charges, all to run concurrently. While condemning the “heinous” crime that “shook the conscience of society,” the judge cited Mir’s current age (55) and prolonged incarceration as mitigating factors against the death penalty. The court also directed the J&K Legal Services Authority to provide ₹1 lakh in compensation to the victim’s parents. However, the co-accused, Ali Mohammad Khawja, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution to prove his direct involvement in the murder. (KNS)
