MUZAFFARABAD, July 6: Relatives of a slain government employee in the lower grade have been running from pillar to post for more than nine months to get his killer(s) arrested and seek some financial benefits for his dependents.

Raja Mohammad Asif, a 21-year old chowkidar or night watchman, of the the Teachers Foundation was found dead in the bathroom of the office building on Sept 20 last year. Though one of the 40 computers in the building was also missing, the preliminary investigations, however, revealed that the cause of murder could have been a rift within the office over some suspicious issues.

However, despite the passage of around 290 days, police have failed to make any headway to arrest the killer(s). Adding insult to the injury is the education department, which has not given any financial benefits such as commutation/pension to the dependents of its employee, nevertheless he was killed during the course of his duty.

The department’s viewpoint is that his length of service was less than a certain period, which rendered him unfit for such benefits.

On Saturday, more than 20 people, some of them relatives of the deceased and some residents of his Khilla village, came to the local press club to highlight the apathy of the police and the education department regarding the matter.

Raja Mohammad Afzal, chairman of the Action Committee formed by the villagers, told reporters that shortly after the murder the then investigation officer had claimed that the police were close to the killer(s) and would make arrests anytime.

But, nothing was done in line with those claims. Rather, the investigation officers were changed twice during the nine months, he said. “Currently the investigation has been stopped and it appears that the police have shelved the case,” he added.

Mr Afzal said the slain employee was the breadwinner of the family, comprising his ailing parents, five sisters, wife and two daughters, but the education department did not pay any benefits to his dependents despite repeated requests.

“We have been pressing the senior government functionaries, including the acting prime minister, minister and senior police officers from time to time, but have failed to get justice,” said the ailing father of the deceased. “Finally, we have come here to seek the help of the independent press.”

Mr Afzal demanded of the government to direct the police to arrest the killer(s) at the earliest. Besides, it should also order the education department to immediately pay pension to his dependents.

He threatened that if both demands were not met within 20 days, the relatives of the deceased and other residents of Khilla village would stage a sit-in in front of the prime minister’s office and lay a siege of the Teachers Foundation.