SRINAGAR: While the Defence Ministry on Saturday dispelled reports that an army man, Mohammad Yasin Bhat, had been kidnapped from his home in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, the jawan’s family claimed that a kidnapping bid had indeed taken place but Yasin managed to escape are reach the local army camp.
“At around 8.20 pm on Friday when we were sitting in our kitchen to have dinner, three masked men wearing pherans (long cloaks) barged inside. One of them was carrying an AK-47 rifle. The trio attempted to grab my soldier son,” said Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Yasin’s father.
He said the entire family — Yasin’s two elder sisters and mother — tried to stop the kidnappers from taking Yasin and managed to raise an alarm. Yasin’s home is situated in Qazipora village of Chadoora Tehsil.
“During this process, Yasin managed to give the slip to the militants and escaped from the area,” said Bhat.
Yasin, who serves in the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI), had gone home on leave from February 25. He was to resume duties in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on April 1.
“We were crying and praying whole night,” said Yasin’s emotionally charged grandfather Abdul Rehman Bhat.
He said they had no information on Yasin the entire night. “We were very apprehensive about his safety as many incidents of abduction of police and army man had taken place in Valley in past and we know what happened with the abducted persons.”
“We could not call on his mobile because he had left it at home while escaping from militant clutches,” Rehman said.
The family heaved a sigh of relief after a police officer brought news of Yasin in the morning. The soldier was safe and inside the local army unit.
“The police officer also facilitated our talk with Yasin on phone. Yasin told us that he was safe and secure and he was in JAKLI unit,” Mohammad Bhat said
DIG central Kashmir V K Birdi said police was inquiring into the incident.
“He (Yasin) had reached the JAKLI unit at around 4 am and they informed police immediately,” he said adding that after the jawan comes out of shock, police would be recording his statement.
The Ministry of Defence spokesman had termed reports of abduction of Yasin as incorrect.
When asked how the jawan reached the army unit and under which circumstances, defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Rajesh Kalia said, "The details are being ascertained".