Mysterious Deaths of Tribal Youths Rock J-K Assembly; Police Under Fire, DIG to Probe

March 17: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed heated scenes on Monday as legislators across party lines condemned the alleged police highhandedness during protests over the recovery of two tribal youths' bodies in Kulgam district.

As soon as the House convened, legislators raised the issue of the death of Showkat Ahmad, son of Mohammad Sadiq Bajad, a resident of Chata Doonda in Rajouri, whose body was recovered from Vaishow Nallah in south Kashmir’s Kulgam on Sunday. Ahmad had gone missing along with two others nearly a month ago.

Choudhary Muhammad Akram, an MLA, accused a police officer of assaulting a woman protester during demonstrations in Qazigund and demanded stern action.

“This House must condemn the police’s actions and initiate strict measures,” he said.

Tensions escalated when National Conference (NC) legislators Javed Choudhary, Mian Mehar Ali, Javaid Mirchal, and Zaffar Ali Khatan attempted to storm the well of the House. They were promptly restrained by Marshals amid rising tempers.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened, assuring members that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had taken note of the matter and would address their concerns.

“The House must be assured that justice will be served,” Rather said.

National Conference’s Nazir Ahmad Gurezi and PDP legislators Waheed Parra and Mehar Ali joined in demanding accountability, calling for a time-bound probe into the alleged police excesses and the mysterious disappearances.

Parra raised concern over the growing trend of missing persons, particularly among the Gujjar community, and stressed the need for transparency.

“This is not an isolated case. We need answers, and we need them now,” he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) President and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone also condemned the incident.

“Images of a police officer kicking the female relatives of two youths who died in Kulgam are utterly disdainful,” he said.

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“The whole action reeks of contempt within the minds of those who are supposed to protect the masses.”

The deceased youth’s family had staged a protest in Qazigund along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, demanding a thorough investigation into the deaths.

The bodies of Showkat Ahmad and his brother Riyaz Ahmad Bajad were recovered within days of each other from the same stream. The duo, along with a third person, Mukhtar Ahmad, had left Qazigund for Ashmuji in Kulgam on February 13 to attend a family function but never reached their destination.

Their mobile phones had been switched off since the day they disappeared. All three hailed from Rajouri and were working as laborers in Qazigund. Mukhtar Ahmad remains untraceable.

Police maintain investigation is going on and the search operation for the third person is continuing.

Meanwhile, PDP leader Iltija Mufti took to social media to allege that authorities had “locked up the gates” of her house to prevent her from visiting Kulgam. “What are the authorities trying to hide here?” she questioned in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

A video clip showing a police officer’s conduct during the protests has added fuel to the fire.

Responding to public outrage, Kashmir Police Zone issued a statement confirming that the matter is under investigation.

"A video has surfaced on the social media regarding a police officer's conduct with the public in Kulgam. We have taken cognisance of the yesterday's incident and the allegations regarding the officers conduct. DIG SKR will enquire and submit his findings within 10 days,” the statement on X read.