The Kashmir Police Dogs seemed to be corrupt and communal only because they had been as brilliant as their master Shah Sahib. Being in the Kashmir Police they had been indoctrinated the two inseparable virtues of the Police.
5:30 PM, November, early eighties, I picked up the receiver of the buzzing phone. I recognized the nervous voice of my younger sister who had left me an hour before.
The other end: “The house has been burgled by some one.”
“Don’t step in. I am coming soon” said I.
En route Chanapora, I approached the SHO Thanna Sadar at Sheirgarhi to lodge an FIR.
The SHO, a sardarji with three stars on his shoulders said: “Go and complete the list of things burgled to complete the FIR.”
I said: “To prepare the list of burgled things, I shall have to enter the house, and the evidence shall get mutilated”.
Luckily Sardarji agreed and accompanied me to the Police Control Room at Batmaloo along with a host of other officials in the khaki to requisition the services of a Sniffer Dog. The Sniffer Dog seemed to be more smart, healthy and taller than its keeper, a Sardarji with three Vs on his arm.
Seeing the glaring personality of the Sniffer, I heaved a sigh of relief and trusted its capability.
Those days we did not have personal telephone connection. So, the neighbour, Abdul Salam Matta’s telephone was instantly used. Seeing the Police contingent, Abdul Salam suggested that requisition of the police was a futile exercise.
“I know a few scoundrels of the area and lost items can be recovered without the help of the police. It would just cost an expenditure of rupees five thousand” said he.
The Sniffer finally entered the house of a poor non Kashmiri Hindu neighbour. The inmate was picked up by the Inspector for interrogation. For a few days he was tied to a tree in the police station. Doubtful integrity of the Sniffer was proved beyond doubt and the innocent was released.
Simultaneously, at our own level one of us used to survey the market if the thief had sold the stolen VCR and the music system to any of the local dealers. Progress of the survey was every morning conveyed to me from Mr. Matta’s telephone.
The theft had taken place a few days before Id. Seventy days passed; there was no hope of recovery.
Abruptly, a few days before the next Id, a youth approached us with a deal. He offered return of all the lost items against payment of Rs.20, 000. The total loss was only to the extent of the amount. Besides, the items were insured against theft. Reasonable as he was, he scaled down to five thousand only. Next day was fixed for execution of the deal. In the meantime, we sent a word to Mr. Matta to be witness to the deal.
At 11PM Mr. Matta approached us and promised return of the items by 2 AM against Rs.2300 only. He took our fiat car and came with all the items except electronic wrist watch. We paid him Rs.900 only and the rest he pretended to have had borrowed from his wife. He emphasised not to disclose the recovery to the police or the public. It was not acceptable and I informed secretly the then SSP Crime Mr.Javed Mukdoomi (Retired IGP). He requisitioned the services of his confident inspector Gulzar(Finally dismissed by Jag Mohan in 1990). The youth was caught and interrogated. He confessed that it was Abdul Salam Matta who had instigated him for the crime. Salam Matta was caught and bailed in the court. Salam Matta was quite affluent. Besides being a transporter,he was a timber merchant. He had his bungalow on the roadside on four kanals of land.
One day Dy.SP Crime Rajinder Tikoo said to me: “I doubt the integrity of Gulzar. I believe he has been purchased by Salam Matta. I am told that they have gone to Pahalgam for the deal”. I said: “Don’t bother, I shall interrogate Gulzar”.
Next day I said to Gulzar: “Gulzar Sabh I called you at Pahalgam and you did not pay any heed”.
He said: “By Holy Koran I did not hear you.”
I said: “How could you hear, when you were in the company of the thief Salam Chur.”
Prompt came the reply: “By Koran, he met me there. I had not gone with him.”
Thank God we received back the VCR and the music system from Salam Matta. The electronic wrist watch was sold by Muna, the youth inducted by Salam. Walkman was in police custody and it was being enjoyed by the then prosecuting officer, who by now is the senior most SSP prosecution.
On Id Salam Matta knew the weakness of Muna. He knew Muna was in need of some money to spend on Id. So he paid him Rs.2300 in two instalments against the stolen items. Seventyfive days after, on the approaching of the next Id, Muna went to Salam Matta for some money to celebrate the Id. Salam rebuked Muna. Muna threatened him that if he would not pay him, he would go to Pundit Ji. Salam did not take the mutineer seriously. So goes the story……
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