More than 400 expensive apple saplings stolen from the orchard of a physically-disabled farmer in Shopian’s Landoora village were returned two days later, after a video of the farmer’s emotional appeal went viral on social media.
The farmer, Sajad Ahmad, who uses a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury, had invested over ₹1.3 lakh in his orchard by taking a bank loan. The orchard was his only source of income.
“I had pinned all my hopes on this orchard. I don’t understand how I will provide for my family now. All my hopes are gone,” Sajad said tearfully in the viral video.
The theft, which happened during the night on Wednesday, shocked the local community and sparked widespread anger online. The stolen saplings were high-density hybrid apple trees, and the orchard was located just 5 km from the district headquarters.
Early Friday morning, residents discovered that the same trees had been quietly placed back in the field.
“It appears the culprits returned the trees quietly, possibly in response to the public reaction,” a police official said.
Sajad confirmed that no damage had been done to the returned saplings.
“These are the same trees. Thankfully, they were not harmed,” he said.
The police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation to catch those behind the theft. Local residents believe it was the power of public support and online outrage that made the culprits return the trees.
“We stand with Sajad. This kind of theft is shameful,” said a resident of Landoora.
This is not the first time such an incident has happened. On May 25, hundreds of apple saplings were stolen from an orchard in Nikloora, Pulwama. Earlier in February, around 14,000 rootstock plants were stolen from a nursery in Renzipora village.
Farmers across the region are now demanding better protection for their orchards.
“These repeated thefts are creating fear in the minds of farmers,” said a grower from Pulwama. “We want the administration to act quickly and catch the thieves.”
