Chamba murder: Prohibitory orders withdrawn from Himachal Pradesh’s Salooni

Suresh Chand, the sarpanch of Bhandal Panchayat, recalls the challenging times the village faced during the peak of militancy in the 1990s and 2000s.

He recalls the presence of paramilitary forces, army personnel, and local police in the area, the imposition of Section 144, and the restrictions on movement. The memories of those difficult days were revived as troops arrived in the village following the killing of Manohar Lal and the subsequent burning of two houses belonging to Sharrif Mohammed, the father of the main accused, Musaffir Hussain.

Rashid Khan, a resident of Sunuh village, vividly remembers facing militants face to face in June 1993, when he was 27 years old. He had taken upon the militants and was shot thrice in the hip leaving him permanently disabled.

Sitting at his home, Khan reflects, “I still bear the physical and emotional scars of those dark days. It was the evening of June 29, 1993 when I noticed six unknown individuals, armed with ammunition, descending from a hilltop towards Sanghani village. At that time, I worked as a woodcutter. When I reached the bottom, I discovered that these individuals had forcibly entered the house of Yakoob Magray, who had objected to their presence and urged them to inform the local police post.

Three of them left their ammunition behind and went to the police post, but to our dismay, they took a policeman, Jatinder from Chamba, hostage. I was already on the road when I encountered and challenged them. Jatinder managed to free himself, and I apprehended one of the perpetrators. However, three others, armed with weapons, opened fire, hitting me with three bullets in the hip. A Mahajan family from Chamba arranged for an ambulance to transport me. I remained at the government hospital in Shimla for five months. Since then, I have been unable to walk independently”

After the recent events, the Sanghni village, with a population of around 5,500 including 195 Muslim families, now seeks peace and stability.

Commenting on the recent violence, Khan said, “Shaq to dono taraf se reh hi jaata hai…par hamare local area mein aisa kuch nahi hai…jo bahar wale ne kiya…hamare accused family se koi lena-dena nahi hai… (There is always doubt from both sides of the communities in such situations. But the ground reality in our local area is entirely different. Whatever happened, it was caused by outsiders).”

Subeg Singh, a local grazer, says he found Sharrif Mohammad, the father of Musaffir Hussain, “and his family peculiar”.

“They don’t have many social connections locally. It is true that the family, apart from 79-year-old Sharrif Mohammad and his ailing wife, Moorsa, resided in a house situated on the hilltop, where winters can be harsh with upto 10 feet of snowfall. Previously, a post of the paramilitary force was also established there during the peak of militancy, but it was later withdrawn”.

The house that was burnt by the angry mob at the hilltop was situated on a wide slope. Subsequently, the Chamba administration discovered that the house had been constructed on forest land, leading to the reclamation of the land by the authorities. In total, 11 bighas of land were found to be illegally occupied.

The family of the victim Manohar Lal, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste (SC), was granted a compensation of Rs 4.12 lakh. The state government has committed to providing the compensation amount once the police investigation is completed.

A senior officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “We assessed the situation in the Salooni area. It is peaceful and under control. Section 144 of CrPC has been lifted”.

Sub-Inspector Birender Singh, the additional Station House Officer of Kihar police station, confirmed that the situation is normal and that a DSP rank officer is overseeing the investigation into the murder case.

Chamba Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, said, “By and large, the situation is peaceful. It is under control. The accused have been arrested, and the juveniles have been sent to the Juvenile Home. The forest land illegally occupied by Sharrif and his family has been vacated. Following the burning of their two houses, an FIR was registered against unknown individuals for property damage, rioting, and arson.”

Five individuals, including two juveniles, have been charged with murder. The three adults are Musaffir Hussain, his wife Farida, and Shabir Ali.

Advocate Liyakat Ali of Jaladi village, which is located near Sanghni, said, “Two days ago, a group representing the Muslim community met with the local administrative officers and requested permission to offer Eid prayers in an open area. Yesterday, we learned that Section 144 of CrPC had been lifted.”