New Delhi, July 17: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a final notice to the Jammu and Kashmir Police over their prolonged inaction in the case of a Kashmiri hawker who went missing under mysterious circumstances in Punjab more than a decade ago.

The missing person, Manzoor Ahmad Kumar, a resident of Dardhaji Rajwar area of North Kashmir’s Handwara,, had traveled to Amritsar Punjab in March 2013 for work as a Fairi Wala (hawker). He was last seen on March 19, 2013, and has not been heard from since. Despite repeated efforts by his family, there has been no breakthrough in the case.

The case was initially taken up by the now-defunct Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (JKSHRC) following a complaint filed by Rasikh Rasool Bhat, a prominent RTI Activist cum Lawyer from Handwara. The matter was later transferred to the NHRC after the JKSHRC ceased to function post the 2019 reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a series of directives, the NHRC had first instructed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Handwara to file a comprehensive report on the case by January 17, 2024. After receiving no meaningful response beyond a forwarding letter, a reminder was issued on November 6, 2024. However, the investigation remains stagnant, prompting the Commission to now issue a final four-week deadline to submit the required report.

The NHRC has warned that failure to comply will lead to the exercise of its powers under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, including the possibility of summoning the SSP in person.

“This is a serious lapse in accountability. The family has waited over 12 years for answers. This is not just about one missing man, it’s about the right to dignity and justice, he added,” Rasikh Rasool Bhat told CNS adding that the least the authorities can do now is fulfill their legal and moral obligation to investigate.