Three Convicted in 2017 Anantnag Murder Case, Sentencing on July 16

SRINAGAR: The Court of Additional Sessions Judge Anantnag on Thursday convicted all three accused—Javaid Ahmad Poswal, Mohammad Ashraf Kaloo Khel, and Mohd Imran Poswal alias Manoo—in the brutal 2017 murder of a young man whose body was discovered in suspicious circumstances in the Hutmarah forests of Mattan.

As per details, the judgement in FIR No. 63/2017 under Sections 302 and 109 RPC of Police Station Mattan was pronounced by Judge Masarat Roohi. The arguments on the quantum of punishment have been scheduled for July 16, 2025.

Senior Prosecuting Officer Mohammad Yaseen Najar, Additional Public Prosecutor, conducted the prosecution on behalf of the State.

According to case details, the deceased Mushtaq Ahmad Ganie of Galwanpora, Budgam had gone missing on June 29, 2017, after receiving a call from accused Javaid Poswal. His body was found days later in the Hutmarah forest with his hands tied behind his back, sparking a major police investigation.

The court noted that Javaid Poswal lured the victim under the pretext of a livestock deal and, along with co-accused Ashraf and Imran, strangled him and looted a large sum of money the deceased had carried. The court relied on multiple witness testimonies, forensic evidence, and the confessional statements of the accused to deliver its judgment.

During the course of the trial, 16 prosecution witnesses were examined, and key recoveries including cash and the deceased’s vehicle were made based on disclosures by the accused.

The case was transferred to the Additional Sessions Court in 2018 and after years of trial, culminated in today’s conviction, bringing some relief to the victim’s family. (JKNS)