As the Valley observed a shutdown on Saturday in the wake of a Hurriyat call for protests against the alleged rape of a 25-year-old woman by army men, the woman's family continued to maintain a stout silence.
Nestled in the Pir Panjal mountain range in south Kashmir's Kulgam district, the house of Muhammad Latief, 30, husband of the alleged rape victim, had been taken over by security forces on Friday itself.
A senior police officer, with no mandatory name badge on his uniform, stopped journalists from entering the house where the victim was recuperating. The room was guarded by a posse of women police.
"She is not in a state of mind to share anything," said the police officer.
The victim, a resident of Manzgam village, 100 km from Srinagar, had alleged two men in uniform abducted her on Wednesday morning and gangraped her. She was found on Thursday near a stream in the Manzgam area, 75 km south of Srinagar.
Meanwhile, Latief was reluctant to share details of the incident. All he said was, "My wife told me she was picked up by men in uniform on the banks of the stream and taken to a hutment." When asked if his wife's clothes were torn or stained when she was recovered, Latief said he was not sure. Neither did he confirm rape or molestation allegations.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Latief was reluctant to share details of the incident. All he said was, "My wife told me she was picked up by men in uniform on the banks of the stream and taken to a hutment." When asked if his wife's clothes were torn or stained when she was recovered, Latief said he was not sure. Neither did he confirm rape or molestation allegations.
{{/usCountry}}However, Latief's elder brother Muhammad Ismail said: "The family will not withdraw the FIR against two unidentified men."
South Kashmir DIG Shafakat Watali refused to confirm the PTI report that the husband and the mother-in-law deposed before the special investigation team about the victim being mentally ill. "I have no such information," Watali told HT.
MLA Sakina Yatoo, who met the victim's family on Saturday, could not be reached for comment.
"We will share the details at an appropriate time. You will have to wait for the final report," said Jammu and Kashmir DGP Kuldeep Khuda.