Kunri, a town of District Umerkot, is known for its fiery red chilies, Sufi culture, and tolerance. This was an ideal setting for Moolchand Kolhi and his four children, two daughters and two sons, to restart their lives after living through a devastating flood. Although the majority of Kunri’s population is Muslim, many Hindus and Christians are also living there.
Moolchand left his hometown due to the 2011 floods. The family settled in Kanjeti Mori near Kunri City. They built their home on a plot worth PKR120,000. After moving to Kanjeti Mori, Moolchand found a job in construction as a laborer, and so began his new life.
Tragedy struck the unfortunate family at 5:30 AM September 7, 2021. Hemi Kolhi had left her house to run some errands, when four men from a nearby village abducted her from the fields. The kidnappers were from Haji Shaukat Punjabi village. They came on bikes with guns. A car waited for them on the main road. They shoved Hemi in the car and drove away.
The Kolhi Family
Since Hemi’s parents never enrolled her in school, nor got her national identity card made, an accurate date of birth is not clear. Her parents, however, say she is only 18 or 19 years old. Even after the family moved to Kanjeti Mori village, education for his children was a distant dream for Moolchand, for two reasons. First, his earning did not allow it. Second, he thought it dangerous to send his children to school. At the back of his mind, he was worried about his children’s safety at school.
Moolchand married off his eldest daughter Hemi Kolhi to one Assan Das from a nearby village. The marriage didn’t last long, and on November 30, 2020, Hemi returned to her parents with a newly born baby girl, Payal.
Losing his eldest daughter is painful for an already stress-ridden Moolchand. But watching his little granddaughter, who is less than a year old, constantly cry for her mother is even harder. Baby Payal is now under the care of her maternal grandparents, they wish that she will not have to learn to live without her mother. Moolchand has been trying for so long to keep his family safe and happy.
Right After the Incident
A devastated Moolchand recounted the incident to The Friday Times, and said that he immediately rushed to help her. Since the kidnappers had bikes and a car, however, he couldn’t reach her on time. He further stated that when he made his way back to the crime scene he could clearly see, his daughter’s footprints. They showed that she had put up a struggle to fight her abductors. He realized that it was impossible for a weak girl to fight four grown men.
With tear streaming down his face, Moolchand described that next he immediately rushed to meet the local landlord. Moolchand pleaded to the landlord for the safe recovery of his daughter. In turn, the landlord assured him that his daughter will be recovered in a day or two. The landlord also asked him not to file a complaint against the perpetrators, in the police station.
Moolchand did not sit on his haunches. He also sought help from other socially influential local people for Hemi’s recovery. They promised to speak on the matter. They promised nothing would happen to his daughter. He met activists including Misan Bux Kapri, Chaudhry Nisar, and Master Jameel. All these people continued to give Moolchand false hopes.
Moolchand identified Hemi’s abductors as Akbar Kapri S/O Shabeer Kapri, Mushtaque Kapri, Afzal Kapri, and Riaz Kapri S/O Haji Sodho Kapri. Riaz is the the maternal uncle of Akbar Kapri. And Haji Sodho Kapri, the father of Riaz Kapri is a notorious criminal.
Taking Legal Action
When the locally influential people’s promises began to wane, and four nights had passed with no news from his daughter, Moolchand went to the police station. On September 11, 2021, he tried to launch an FIR against Hemi’s abductors. The Station House Officer (SHO), however, bluntly refused to lodge the FIR. Instead, the SHO informed the local landlord of the Kapri community, a relative of the abductors, that Moolchand was attempting to launch an FIR against them.
Disappointed by police, Moolchand consulted with a lawyer and filed Petition 491 to free her daughter from the abductors through a raid, and present her in court. He was able to file this petition at a Sessions Court in Umerkot. The court instructed the local police to raid and recover the abducted girl and present her in court on September 18, 2021.
At the Court
That day, Moolchand, his wife, and Baby Payal went to court with great, big hopes. When they saw Hemi, the first thing they noticed is that her eyes were wet. When the husband and wife were called inside the courtroom, they hoped that his daughter would be returned to them. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Instead, the judge told them that Hemi’s statement had been recorded and they could now leave.
Hemi’s hapless and helpless parents were sent home while Hemi was instructed to accompany her abductor back to his house.
“If my daughter willfully wants to go with her abductor, I have no issue over it but I want to meet and know her will,” said Moolchand. He firmly believes that his daughter was forcibly abducted and requested the law enforcement agencies to provide him an opportunity to meet her to learn the reality.
Sindh is becoming increasingly dangerous for young Hindu girls like Hemi Kolhi. According to an independent database, Violence Register Pk, that records faith-based attacks on the Hindu community in Pakistan, there are 51 ‘reported’ cases of abduction since 2010. Many suspect that this number is just the tip of the iceberg.
This blog is produced by Ravadar – a blog series documenting the lives of religious minorities.
