Jailed Sarjan Barkati’s family stages protest in Srinagar, seeks his release

Srinagar: The family members and relatives of Sarjan Barkati on Wednesday held a protest demonstration in Srinagar demanding his immediate release.

Sarjan Barkati, a resident of Reban village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district was arrested during 2016 unrest after he led many protest rallies in south Kashmir districts.

Family members and other relatives of Barkati assembled in press enclave and shouted Slogans “release Sarjan,” and “release the father of two innocents children”.

Sugra Barkati, daughter of Sarjan Barkati said that they are not feeling safe without her father at home.

“On 7th July during evening time at 8:30 pm, my mother was going to a nearby house to bring milk, some unknown person tried to strangulate her with her scarf,” she said, adding, that the milk utensil dropped from her hands creating a sound and alarming the people around her,” she said.

“When we opened the window we saw our mother lying on the road in an unconscious condition,” Surga said.

She said that they started crying and the neighbors came out of their houses and helped her mother.

“We have registered an FIR in Zainapora police station in Shopian district. The police is investigating the case,” she said.

Urging authorities to release her father, she said that if authorities do not release her father, then they should jail them too, “so that we can live with our father and feel secure.”

Surga said that she cannot concentrate properly on her studies, because “I remember my father every day.”

Azan Barkati, son of Sarjan said that he has only one dream. “I have only one dream that I want to spend some time with my father.”

“It is very difficult for me to live without my father,” he said, requesting governor Satya Pal Malik to release his father.

Barkati’s wife Shabrooza said that after his arrest my children are not feeling well. “We sleep at a neighbors house,” said Shabrooza saying that they do not feel secure at home.

“I mostly remain busy in courts to seek bail for my husband. As there is no one to take care of my expenditures, we face terrible hardships,” she said.