In a deeply unsettling incident that has shaken Kashmir’s farming community, more than 400 high-density apple trees were stolen from the orchard of a physically-disabled farmer in Shopian’s Landoora village late June 12 night.
Sajad Ahmad, who has been wheelchair-bound since a spinal cord injury in a road accident, had painstakingly established the orchard by investing over ₹1.3 lakh through a bank loan. The theft, which took place just five kilometers from the district headquarters, has left the 35-year-old devastated.
“I had pinned all my hopes on this orchard. I don’t know how I’ll feed my family now,” Ahmad said, struggling to contain his emotions. “Everything is gone.”
Ahmad, who requires daily assistance for basic needs, said the orchard was his sole source of income and had symbolized a new beginning after his accident. The brazen theft has triggered an outpouring of anger and sympathy in the local community, which is demanding swift action from authorities.
Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation, but so far, no arrests have been made.
“This is not an isolated incident,” said a local resident. “Orchards across south Kashmir are under attack, and farmers are living in constant fear.”
On May 25, a similar theft was reported from Nikloora village in Pulwama, where hundreds of saplings were uprooted from a newly established high-density orchard. Earlier, on February 14, thieves struck an apple nursery in Renzipora and made off with 14,000 rootstock plants.
With horticulture being the backbone of the region’s rural economy, repeated thefts of this scale are threatening both livelihoods and morale. Farmers are now urging the administration to step up surveillance and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“This is not just theft,” one farmer said. “This is economic sabotage.”