After dad claims ‘threat to life from family’, Shehla Rashid reveals tale of domestic abuse

Abdul Rashid Shora wrote to J&K Police DGP asking for security cover, but Shehla Rashid says it was his way of responding to a restraining order from a court.

Activist and former JNU student union leader Shehla Rashid | Twitter | @CafeDissensus

Srinagar: Abdul Rashid Shora, father of former Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) leader and prominent student activist Shehla Rashid, Monday sought security cover from Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, citing a “threat to his life” from his daughters and wife, and alleging they were carrying out “anti-national” activities.

However, in a written statement released Monday evening, Shehla Rashid rejected the claims, saying her “biological father” was responding in this manner to a restraining order issued by a court against him for indulging in domestic violence.

2) This is not a political matter, as it has been going on ever since I came to senses.

Exhibit 1: Letter to him from Mohalla Committee in 2005 asking him not to abuse us. pic.twitter.com/bgpCNyW3e3

— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) November 30, 2020

Shehla also shared a copy of the restraining order, as well a 2005 document in which a local welfare community had requested her father to meet them, as he had been reported for threatening, abusing, misbehaving and using inappropriate language with family members.

DGP Dilbag Singh did not respond to calls and messages sent to him by ThePrint. A police officer, however, said on the condition of anonymity that the force had not taken any cognisance of the complaint by Shora yet.

“The allegations are of serious nature, but from preliminary findings, it appears to be a case of domestic violence that has got out of hand,” said the officer.

Shora’s allegations

Abdul Rashid Shora, in his letter to the DGP, claimed that he was offered Rs 3 crore to get Shehla to join the JKPM, and that the money was offered by former J&K MLA Engineer Rashid and businessman Zahoor Watali, both of whom are currently in jail in connection with a militancy-related case being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

“They offered me Rs 3 crore for Shehla to join those notorious people. As I felt that the money is coming from illegal channels and shall be used for unlawful activities, I did not take the money, and later asked my daughter to not indulge in any such transactions with these people,” he said in the letter.

However, Shora claimed that despite his objections, Shehla allegedly went ahead with the offer, asking him to “not disclose anything” as it could put his “life in danger”.

“I have a strong belief that anti-national activities are going on in my house, the characters involved in this plan are my daughters, my wife and Shehla’s security man named Sakib Ahmad, who lately threatened me with his pistol for my resistance to Shehla for her activities,” he said.

Shehla’s statement

Shehla in her statement revealed that her mother, in fact, had been a victim of domestic violence for years.

“Many of you must have come across a video of my biological father making wild allegations against me and my mum & sis. To keep it short and straight, he’s a wife-beater and an abusive, depraved man. We finally decided to act against him, and this stunt is a reaction to that,” she said.

“As we mourn the loss of a close family member, it is extremely sad that my father, Mr Abdul Rashid Shora, has chosen this time to level absolutely disgusting, baseless allegations against me, my mother and my sister,” the former vice-president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union said.

“Although this is a family matter, I am compelled to respond because the allegations made are of (a) very serious nature. The fact of the matter is that my mother, my sister and I have filed a complaint of domestic violence with the court under which my father — who has been abusive towards us for as long as we can remember — has been restrained from entering home on 17-11-2020. The false allegation he is making are a reaction to that. My mother has tolerated abuse, violence and mental torture all her life. She has been quiet for the sake of respect of the family,” she continued.

“When my sister and I were kids, we were unable to protect our mother. Now that we have started speaking up against his physical and mental abuse, he has started abusing us too. I have also filed an FIR in September. Request everyone not to take him seriously and let us mourn in peace,” Shehla added.