Srinagar: The teams constituted by the government to study braid chopping incidents have not been able to provide any scientific grounds behind such happenings. The braid chopping phenomenon which died a silent death created a furor in the Valley witjh more that 115 incidents recorded.

“In spite of looking for the pattern in all the cases the teams put in all their energies to ascertain whether the victims belong to the lower strata of the society or the middle. In addition, the teams have also looked in to find out a history of psychological complications in the families of the victims,” a sources associated with the study said.

As per sources, the teams have deliberated upon the social status of the families of the victims and the history of psychological complications.

“The teams failed to reach any conclusion based on scientific evidence or evidences,” he said. 

The teams in their respective reports have also mentioned that they tried to find out the history of psychological complications in the families.

In a report, formulated on the basis of 23 case studies, only 3 have had a history of psychological complications that too, it has been mentioned, needs to be ascertained in the process of further examinations.

“During the preliminary assessment, since majority of patients did not have any significant past and family history of psychiatric illness (as reported by victim/ family member), the team came to the conclusion that the victims need detailed psychometry, particularly those with history of Psychosocial stressors or psychiatric illness,” sources said, while quoting the  report.

Further examinations, the sources said, are not possible, “it has been a tough job so far, and I don’t that think that it will be possible to carry out further examinations,” the sources added.

The families of the victims, as the teams were trying to find out the history of psychological complications in the family, have taken the exercise altogether in a different manner, saying that the team was trying to prove that they were lying or were lunatics.

Father of one of the victim who was brought in for the examination said “they (team) had not come for any help. They were here to prove that they (victims) are lunatics,” he told this reporter.   

Notably, what has turned the entire arrangement into a futile thing is the non availability of forensic experts in the teams that were constituted to study the braid chopping incidents. So far, constituting teams to study braid chopping incidents has turned out to be a futile exercise, failing to bring to fore any pattern or science behind such incidents.

Officially, the teams were to be accompanied by a forensic expert, however, on ground it was a totally different situation.

One of the team that has submitted its report, has said that they were not able to ascertain whether the victims braid was really chopped off or not, as they were unable to ascertain the facts in the absence of a forensic experts, who had to be there, officially.

As per a submitted report, the sources said “most of the patients did not had their chopped hair with them, and many of them were reluctant to expose their hair, thus, it was imperative to get these verified by a forensic expert.”

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