Srinagar, Sept. 3 -- The forest near Chutmillah had already gone dark when Sameer Ahmad Rather's vehicle began its descent from the Kudara mountains on August 30, 2026.

Sameer, an advocate from Srinagar, had spent the day trekking with a group of 39 people in this Bandipora belt. According to a legal notice he later sent to a local man named Showkat Ahmad, the vehicle was stopped in the forest.

Showkat and several associates surrounded it, the notice says, and demanded money described as payment for security and protection.

Sameer had already given Showkat Rs. 3,000 before the trek, after asking him to arrange permission for the group and provide a guide.

The notice alleges that another Rs. 2,000 changed hands that night, followed by ...