On a quiet Friday evening, as the golden sun began to set behind the mountains of Srinagar, a tragedy unfolded at Khumani Chowk in the Bemina area—one that would forever shatter a family.
Ali Mohammad Joo, an artisan of the traditional papier mâché craft—an ancient and now dying art form in Kashmir—was returning home with his daughter after visiting their maternal home.
His family told Maktoob that life had already been hard on him. He was the sole breadwinner of his family and had been struggling to stay afloat, especially in a time when artists are rarely paid what their work is worth.
“His hands, worn with years of labour, created beauty for a society that gave little in return. Still, he carried on—quiet, proud, and loving,” a relative of Mohammad said.
On the evening of May 31, without warning, a speeding Jammu and Kashmir Police vehicle (Rakshak) struck Mohammad and his daughter, flinging them onto opposite sides of the road.
Mohammad’s daughter told Maktoob that as her father fell to one side, the J&K Police vehicle—moving at immense speed—crushed him as it drove over his chest.
“We were hit from behind. Baba fell to the right, and I fell to the left. In that split second of chaos, the vehicle didn’t stop—it ran over his chest,” she said, now demanding justice for her father, whom she says was killed.
When she crawled toward him, she saw blood everywhere. Her father’s chest was crushed. His brain was severely damaged. Blood poured from his eyes.
Shaking, broken, she called her mamu: “Aghu, baba margaya…” (“Uncle… Baba is gone…”)
But the horror did not end there. According to the daughter, the police vehicle, after crushing her father, finally stopped. “The men inside the car came out in fake concern and took him to the Jehlum Valley College of Medical Sciences (JVC),” she said.
However, Mohammad had died on the spot.
The family later alleged that when they reached the hospital, authorities attempted to declare his death as a heart attack caused by the accident. Outraged, the family and neighbours began protesting outside the hospital.
In a video that went viral on social media, an officer with the rank of Superintendent of Police could be seen trying to pacify the protestors and assuring them that justice would be served.
Despite the public outcry, local media were not allowed to cover the incident. When journalists attempted to enter the hospital premises, they were stopped, which only fueled the family’s anguish and anger.
According to the daughter, after three hours of protest, an FIR was finally registered, stating that a police vehicle had struck Mohammad and his daughter.
The family is now demanding justice. While they acknowledge that compensation has been offered, they say no amount can replace what they’ve lost. “Baba is gone. He died,” the daughter said.
In an attempt to calm the grieving family, the Jammu and Kashmir Police assured them that an FIR would be registered and fair compensation would be provided.
That same night, a case was registered under FIR No. 46/2025 at Bemina Police Station.
The FIR, accessed by Maktoob, confirms that the case has been filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 281 – rash driving, and Section 125(A) – which criminalises acts of rashness or negligence that endanger human life or personal safety.
The matter is currently under investigation.
