Jammu and Kashmir: Student who joined ISJK shuns violence, returns home

Mother's love triumphed over terror after another youth shunned path of violence and returned to his family in the militancy-hit Kashmir.

Hailing from Srinagar city, the 19-year-old youth, who had gone missing last month from an out-of-state university, had released the audio announcing his joining the dreaded Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK).

Unable to come to terms with the new reality, the shell-shocked family had appealed their son to shun violence and return home.  Later, an inconsolable mother requested the militant outfit to release her son for the sake of God.

“With the help of family and police an individual (name withheld) has been brought back to the mainstream.  Police investigation is on”, tweeted Srinagar police.

Police also requested to withhold the name of the youth given the sensitivity of the matter. “In view of the sensitivity of the matter, request is made to withhold the name of Individual”, police said.

Family members of the youth said he had come home from where he was picked up by police on Sunday. “He had come home today, and he was taken into custody”, said a family member of the youth.

Earlier when he went missing, he released an audio message announcing to have joined ISJK. Raising his finger symbolizing the oneness of Allah - the usual trait of jihadis who join terror - he took a vow accepting global ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al Bagdadi as Ameer-ul-Momineen (Leader of believers).

A desperate family later made an emotional appeal urging him to return to their family. “Islam says paradise lies under the feet of mother. Father acts as a door to paradise. Come back my son.  I ask you to come back for your mother who is not keeping well.  I also urge those, with whom he is, send him back to his family”, his father had said soon after the reports of joining militant outfit hit the headlines.