Theft shatters hope of Pulwama widow

Pulwama: In the middle of her thick apple orchard, Tanveera was crying inconsolably, with her relatives struggling hard to pacify her.

“They have shattered all my hopes. How can I repay the debt?” asked the distressed woman, as one of her relatives offered her some water.

On a somber Monday morning, Tanveera, 45, a resident of Pulwama’s Rohmoo village, was shocked to see the apples they had harvested over the last few days vanishing from the orchard.

According to Tanveera, the burglars had stolen around 200 apple boxes from her farm.

“We had put the harvested crop under a tarpaulin at the farm,” she said.

On October 1 night, the burglars had stealthily entered the Tanveera’s farm, sprawling over 3 kanal, and lifted the harvested crop.

Tanveera’s husband, Muhammad Ayoub Dar, died last year after a protracted battle with cancer.

The family, which lives off the land, had to spend a huge amount on Dar’s treatment.

“His treatment incurred the family at least Rs 50 lakh,” said Ghulam Qadir, a relative of Tanveera.

He said that the family had no other source of income.

“The family was already groaning under a crushing debt, and this year’s produce was their only hope,” Qadir said.

The family has appealed for compensation and requested the Police to arrest the culprits involved in the theft.

Meanwhile, the Police registered a case and started an investigation.