IIOJK boils in anger over civilian killings, internet suspended in Kathua Mehbooba demands probe, Iltija questions value of Kashmiri lives
Srinagar: The killing of two civilians by Indian troops have sparked widespread anger and condemnation with demand for immediate investigations into the deaths mounting across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti wrote on X that in Kathua’s Billawar area, 25-year-old Makhan Din was detained on allegations of being an Over Ground Worker (OGW).
She said he was subjected to brutal torture while in custody, allegedly forced into a confession, and later found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Following the incident, authorities sealed off the area and suspended internet services, escalating panic among residents. Reports indicate that Indian forces have intensified crackdowns, with more detentions taking place in the area.
Mehbooba Mufti demanded an independent probe into the custodial death, urging the Police Chief to ensure accountability. “This incident appears to follow a troubling pattern of targeting innocent youths on fabricated charges,” she stated, calling for the Director General of Police (DGP) to take immediate action.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Baramulla’s Sopore, a civilian was shot dead by the Army after being chased when the driver didn’t stop at a checkpoint.
Reacting to the incident, Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, expressed shock over the ‘unbridled impunity’ of Indian troops.
Taking to social media platform X, Iltija wrote, “Shocking that after a civilian killing in Kathua dubbed as an ‘OGW’, another civilian from Sopore was shot dead by the Indian Army. …Are Kashmiri lives so cheap? How long will you justify this unbridled impunity by pointing everyone with the needle of suspicion?”
The twin killings have sparked outrage across political and civil society circles, with calls for transparency and justice growing louder. Police urged people to maintain peace and order.
