Drug Menace Tearing Apart Families
A horrific story of a woman who survived murder attempt at the hands of her son.
Jazim Bazaz
Drug addiction in Kashmiri youth is turning out a serious menace despite all out efforts of the authorities to curb it. Not a single day passes without someone, somewhere being caught as drug peddler and drug addict involved in criminal activities.
It’s not only general public which suffers due to drug menace, most of the families who have a drug addict member in their family also face hardships and even threat to life.
Over a period of time, cases have emerged where a drug addict has attacked his/her own family members, be it siblings or parents, and inflicted injuries to them. Even mysterious deaths of youth are taking place, leaving big question marks about the cause of their sudden death.
A few days back, Jammu and Kashmir police shared a horrific story of a woman who survived murder attempt at the hands of her son. A 52-year-old housewife, identified as Gulshana (name changed), approached Police Station Batmaloo with a written complaint, stating that she was physically attacked by her son Bashir (name changed) aged around 22. Bashir, the son of Mohammad Iqbal (name changed), a resident of Srinagar, was accused of habitual drug abuse and violent behavior.
After receiving the complaint, the police took cognizance and registered the case under FIR number 72/2025 at Police Station Batmaloo. The case has been booked under section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with section 307 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which pertains to attempt to murder. Investigation into the matter is underway.
The injured woman was admitted to JVC Hospital Bemina for medical treatment. Her condition is being monitored by doctors.
It’s pertinent to mention that in recent months, Srinagar police have repeatedly highlighted how substance abuse is fueling criminal behavior and destabilizing family structures in the city.
Precisely, drug addiction assuming dangerous dimensions where young lives are on the path of getting destroyed and families facing socio/economic turmoil. Even as authorities have been taking strong measures to curb the menace, the situation continues to remain volatile.
Here the awareness campaigns need to be strengthened with consistency and strong content in the message. The role of families is crucial in drug de-addiction campaigns. Families cannot absolve themselves from the responsibility and have to act proactively in getting their house in order. If their efforts fail to control and transform the life and behaviour of their drug addict member in the family, they should not hestitate to seek immediate intervention of police and other drug de-addiction centres. They should not take it as a stigma to report it to the authorities.
