While all the inhabitants of Badhaal village in J&K's Rajouri returned to their homes from the quarantine centers, the opposition BJP charged Omar Abdullah's government with trying to cover up the 17 mysterious deaths in this village.
On Wednesday, thirteen more people who were lodged in a quarantine center in Rajouri town returned to their homes.
Amid the authorities' decision to allow people to return home, J&K spokesperson Dr. Tahir Choudhary raised serious concerns over the ongoing probe into the mysterious deaths in Badhaal village of Rajouri. He alleged that the matter was being "put under the carpet" as the investigation remained inconclusive.
Dr. Choudhary stated that despite multiple teams of experts from top health institutions and forensic agencies being roped in, authorities had failed to provide a clear answer regarding the cause of the 17 deaths in the village, most of whom were children. He accused the J&K government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, of lacking transparency and urged officials to expedite the probe to reveal the truth.
"The people of Rajouri deserve to know the truth. The victims' families are still in distress, and the entire village is living in fear. How can such a large-scale tragedy take place, and yet, even after weeks of investigations, there is no conclusive finding?" he questioned.
While reports indicate that toxicological analysis detected neurotoxins in biological specimens, Dr. Choudhary argued that the administration had not been forthcoming about the exact nature of the toxins or how they entered the food chain.
He also criticized the authorities for shutting down pesticide shops in the district without a clear explanation.
"The SIT must work with complete transparency, and its findings should be made public as soon as possible. Any attempt to suppress facts will only deepen the public's mistrust in the system," he asserted.
Dr. Choudhary urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally intervene and ensure that the investigation is carried out with urgency and fairness.
All 395 Villagers Returned to Their Homes
After spending over three weeks in three quarantine centres in Rajouri town, all 395 inhabitants of Badhaal village returned home last week.
While on Wednesday, 13 villagers were released from the quarantine centre, others had already been released over the last few days.
Last Saturday, at least 350 members of 70 families were allowed to return home after spending 22 days in quarantine centres at the Government Nursing College Building and Government Boys' Higher Secondary School in Rajouri town.
On February 15, the second batch of 32 villagers, who had been lodged in an isolation centre due to the mysterious deaths in their village, returned home.
17 People Died Due to a Mysterious Illness
Seventeen members of three families, including 13 children, died under mysterious circumstances after falling sick in the remote Badhaal village of the Kotranka Sub-division of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district between December 7 and January 19.
Chronology of the Tragedy
- December 8, 2024: Fazal Hussain (40) died at GMC Rajouri. His daughters Farmana (7) and Rabia Kausar (14) passed away while being transported to Jammu, followed by his son Ruksan Ahmed (10) at SMGS Hospital.
- December 12, 2024: Fazal's youngest son, Raftar Ahmed (4), died at SMGS Hospital.
- December 12, 2024: Mohammad Rafiq's daughter, Nazia Kausar (7), died in Rajouri. His sons, Mohammad Ishtiaq (10) and Ishfaq Ahmed (12), passed away en route to SMGS Jammu and PGIMER Chandigarh.
- December 23, 2024: Mohammad Rafiq's pregnant wife, Rajim Begum, succumbed at GMC Rajouri.
- January 12, 2025: Mohammad Aslam's children, Navina Kausar (9) and Zahoor Ahmed (14), died at SMGS Hospital in Jammu.
- January 13, 2025: Mohammad Aslam's son, Mohammad Maroof (10), died of the "mysterious disease," while his grandfather, Mohammad Yousuf, passed away from shock.
- January 14, 2025: Mohammad Aslam's youngest daughter, Safina Kouser (12), passed away in the SMGS ICU.
- January 16, 2025: Javina Kousar, daughter of Mohammad Aslam, died.
- January 17, 2025: Jatti Begum, wife of Mohammad Yousuf, succumbed.
- January 19, 2025: Yasmeena Jan (15), daughter of Mohammad Aslam, passed away.
Home Minister Ordered an Investigation
On January 18, Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the constitution of an inter-ministerial team to visit Badhaal village in Rajouri district to ascertain the cause of the deaths.
The central team, headed by a senior Union Home Ministry officer, comprised experts from the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Agriculture, Chemicals and Fertilisers, and Water Resources, as well as experts from Animal Husbandry, Food Safety, and Forensic Science Labs.
