In a landmark verdict that reaffirms faith in justice, a court in Jammu and Kashmir has sentenced a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist to life imprisonment,&nbsp; 32 years after he murdered a carpet weaver in Bandipora district.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Susheel Singh held Abdul Wahid Mir guilty of killing 30-year-old Mohammad Shafi Hajam on December 7, 1993, in Onagam village. The judgment, delivered this week, comes after years of tireless efforts by Hajam&rsquo;s family who refused to let the case be forgotten.
Initially marked &ldquo;untraced&rdquo; in 1994, the case was reopened in 2004 following fresh witness accounts and the courage of the victim&rsquo;s family to name the perpetrators.
According to testimonies, Mir and another militant stormed Hajam&rsquo;s house, demanded his scooter and later dragged him to a graveyard where he was shot in the forehead at point-blank range. Villagers intervened when the accused attempted to set the body on fire.
&ldquo;The crime was heinous and shook the conscience of society,&rdquo; Judge Singh observed. However, citing Mir&rsquo;s age (55) and prolonged custody, the court ruled out capital punishment. He will remain confined at Central Jail Agra.
Mir was awarded life imprisonment under Section 302 RPC, three years rigorous imprisonment under Section 201 RPC, and seven years under the Arms Act. All sentences will run concurrently. His co-accused Ali Mohammad Khawja was acquitted due to lack of substantive evidence.
The Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority has been directed to provide ₹1 lakh compensation to Hajam&rsquo;s parents under the Victim Compensation Scheme 2013.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, reacting to the verdict, urged families of terror victims still waiting for justice to come forward. &ldquo;Those who lost loved ones to terrorism in the past 35 years must approach the police without fear. Justice will be ensured,&rdquo; he said. He also reiterated that next of kin of terror victims will be considered for government jobs under the compassionate appointment scheme.
This judgment is being seen as a significant message that no crime, however old, goes unpunished.

J&K court delivers justice after 32 years

Bandipora court sentences Hizbul terrorist to life for 1993 civilian killing

J&K court delivers justice after 32 years

Bandipora court sentences Hizbul terrorist to life for 1993 civilian killing

August 21, 2025 | 19:49 IST