Even as the Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the deaths of two persons in Kathua district, the Congress has demanded a judicial probe into the recent deaths of three people in the district, calling for transparency and accountability.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra raised the demand at a workers' convention in Kathua, highlighting concerns over the deaths of Roshan Lal (45) and Shamsher (37), who were found strangled in Billawar's Batheri village on February 16.
He also demanded a probe into the suicide of Makhan Din (25) of Billawar, who allegedly ended his life on February 4 after consuming insecticide, reportedly in protest against police harassment.
"We strongly condemn these unfortunate and mysterious deaths and demand a judicial inquiry to uncover the truth," Karra said. He announced the formation of a senior Congress team to visit the affected area, compile a detailed report, and submit it to the party.
SIT Constituted to Probe Killing of Two Men
On February 19, a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a superintendent of police was constituted to probe the recent murder of two men in a remote village in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The bodies of Roshan Lal (45) and Shamsher (37) were retrieved from the banks of a stream in Batheri village in Billawar on February 16. The postmortem report revealed that they had been strangled to death.
Although authorities have not yet confirmed a terror angle in the gruesome killings, locals believe terrorists were involved in the incident, as both deceased were found with their throats slit and had multiple injuries, especially on their necks.
According to reports, Shamsher and Roshan Lal had gone to a nearby forest to collect vegetables and other produce.
When they did not return by late evening, their families initiated a search, as they were not carrying mobile phones.
Reports said that some locals noticed two persons lying under mysterious circumstances in Batheri village—about two kilometers away from Kohag village.
On February 17, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his anguish over the tragic deaths and said his office was in touch with the local MLA, while concerned officers had been asked to investigate the cause of these deaths.
Last year, several parts of Kathua, including Billawar, witnessed terror activities, including an attack on an army patrol that left five soldiers dead.
Two Separate Inquiries Ordered Into Makhan Din's Suicide
The Jammu and Kashmir government has already ordered two separate inquiries into the alleged suicide of the nephew of a Pakistan-based terrorist in the Kathua district.
While the first inquiry was ordered by Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rakesh Manhas, another was announced by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu.
The panel constituted by Deputy Commissioner Kathua was asked to submit its report within five days, while the inquiry panel of the IGP will submit its report within ten days.
The deceased, identified as Makhan Din, was called for questioning by the police in the Kathua district.
Before his suicide, 25-year-old Makhan Din, a resident of Kathua's Billawar area, released a video in which he stated that he was dying by suicide so that no one else would be subjected to the torture and humiliation he had faced at the hands of the police.
A police spokesman said that Makhan Din was the nephew of Pakistan-based terrorist Swar Din alias Swaru Gujjar, who had crossed the border. Swar Din is allegedly monitoring terror activities in the Kathua and Doda districts.
