SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have dismissed claims by PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, asserting that a resident of Billawar, Kathua, died by suicide and was not subjected to custodial torture, as alleged on social media. Meanwhile, the government has initiated a magisterial probe into the incident.
In a post on X, Mehbooba Mufti alleged that 25-year-old Makhan Din from Perody, Billawar, was wrongfully detained by the Station House Officer (SHO) of Billawar on unverified charges of being an Over Ground Worker (OGW). She claimed that he was severely beaten, forced into a confession, and was later found dead.
Shocking news from Kathua: Makhan Din, aged 25 from Perody, Billawar, was detained by the SHO of Billawar on false charges of being an Over Ground Worker (OGW). He was reportedly subjected to brutal thrashing and torture, forced into a confession, and tragically found dead today.โฆ
โ Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 6, 2025
โShocking news from Kathua: Makhan Din was picked up on false charges, brutally assaulted in custody, and has now been found dead. The area has been cordoned off, internet services suspended, and several detentions are underway. This pattern of implicating innocent youth on fabricated allegations is alarming. I urge @JmuKmrPolice to launch an immediate and independent probe,โ Mehbooba wrote.
However, the police have strongly refuted these allegations. A police spokesperson stated that there was no security clampdown in Billawar, and daily life was unaffected. โTraffic is moving as usual, schools and colleges are operating normally, and internet services in Kathua district remain functional,โ the statement read.
Countering Mehbooba Muftiโs accusations, police revealed that Makhan Din was the nephew of a known Pakistani-exfiltrated militant, Swar Din alias Swaru Gujjar. They alleged that he was affiliated with the same network responsible for the July 2024 Badnotta Army convoy ambush, which claimed the lives of four soldiers, as well as the Kohag operation, in which Head Constable Bashir was killed.
โMakhan Din had multiple suspicious connections in Pakistan and other foreign locations. He was interrogated about these links and later released. There was no custodial mistreatment or any physical harm inflicted upon him. After being confronted with evidence, he went home and took his own life,โ the police statement said.
In response to the incident, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kathua, Dr Rakesh Minhas, IAS, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter. The investigation has been assigned to Sh. Anil Kumar, JKAS, Tehsildar Lohai Malhar, has been directed to establish the precise cause of death and submit a detailed report within five days.
Senior police officials, including Additional SP Operations Billawar Amir Iqbal, DySP Javaid Tabassum, and SDPO Billawar Neeraj Padyar, have visited the deceasedโs family, assuring them of a thorough and impartial investigation.
Additionally, a departmental inquiry has been initiated under the supervision of DIG JSK Range, Shiv Kumar, IPS. The designated officer has been instructed to submit his findings promptly.
