A dry fruit seller who had set himself on fire after being detained and interrogated by Indian police and agencies succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Srinagar, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to Kashmir Media Service, 55-year-old Bilal Ahmad Wani allegedly set himself on fire on Sunday morning, a day after being violently interrogated by Indian police and later released.  

Wani, a dry fruit seller from Qazigund, was undergoing treatment at Soura hospital in Srinagar for severe burn injuries. According to his family, he was called to the Qazigund police station on Saturday morning and released in the evening. They said he returned home visibly distressed and interacted very little with family members.He set himself on fire on Sunday in Qazigund. His condition worsened, and he was referred to Srinagar hospital, where he succumbed to his burn injuries around 12:30 a.m. 

The victim, along with his son Jasir Bilal, had been arrested by Indian police in connection with the Delhi blast case. While Wani was subsequently released that night, his son remains in custody.  Observers note that such cases underscore the suffering inflicted on ordinary Kashmiris by false accusations, arbitrary detentions, and relentless harassment, adding to the daily miseries of a population already living under extreme surveillance and fear.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)