Kupwara youth death:Family’s only hope lost

Srinagar, Feb 7:  A dream to see his sisters in bridal trousseau was shattered when 19 year old caterer Basit Ahmad Khan lost battle with his life on Thursday night, two days after he was allegedly beaten by his co-worker in Jaipur.
Basit had gone to Rajasthan in November last year to earn his livelihood and support his widowed mother and two unmarried sisters. Hailing from Kunan Poshpora village in Kupwara district, Basit had dropped out from school after financial condition of his family worsened following the sudden death of his father in 2012.
Javaid Ahmad, Basit’s next-door neighbor said he was a very hard-working child who could not see his mother struggling. “We have many friends in Rajasthan. One of them called me two days before and informed about Basit’s accident. I accordingly informed his grandfather. On Thursday night I got the news that Basit is no more. I could not sleep as flashback of his childhood memories kept playing in my mind”, he said
Later Javaid called up other neighbors and informed them about the tragedy. “We tried to behave normally in front of his mother. But she sensed something was wrong when crowd started gathering outside her house”, he said.
Cries and shrieks rent the air as his mother came to know about the death of her lone son. “My son, who will take care of your little sisters now,” she cried.
Employees Union President Salman Ahmad, who was attending Basit in the hospital, said on the night of February 5 while returning from work, a group of men thrashed Basit and his colleague brutally after an altercation broke out.
“He was taken to the hospital where doctors said that he had suffered internal injuries in his head. He slipped into coma and later succumbed to his injuries,” he said.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Kupwara,  Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar said a case of murder has been registered in the concerned police station of Rajasthan.  “One of the accused has been arrested and the other two people are under general investigation,” he said
Shriram said that they will provide financial assistance to his family. “His body is on its way. This is a very unfortunate incident. District administration and Kupwara police stands with his family,” he said.