Army soldier, two others arrested in murder of Muslim woman in Jammu
Police cover-up exposed as murder initially passed off as road accident
Jammu: A serving Indian Army soldier among three persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of a 30-year-old Muslim woman and injuring her two sisters inside a physiotherapy centre in Jammu’s Sainik Colony on August 21, 2025.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Crime Branch made the arrests and said more detentions are likely as the investigation progresses. A senior officer confirmed, “Three persons have been arrested so far, including a serving Army soldier. Further arrests are likely as we are probing the role of others involved in the murder of the woman. We also recovered the weapon of offence.” The arrested soldier has been identified as Naik Sher Singh of Hisar, Haryana, posted at the Movement Control Office (MCO) at Jammu Tawi Railway Station. He is accused of opening fire inside the clinic in a rage-driven attack, firing eight rounds at three women.
The deceased was identified as Mehajbeen Akil Sheikh of Malad, Mumbai, who succumbed to her injuries on August 29 at Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu. Her sister, Fatima Akil (21), and Jaspreet Kour (28), of Ludhiana, were critically injured but survived.
Initially, the attack was wrongly reported as a road accident in Bari Brahmana, delaying medical and legal procedures. Investigations later confirmed it was a targeted shooting. Three police officers were suspended for allegedly attempting to mislead the probe. The case was transferred to the IIOJK Crime Branch on September 18, which registered a murder FIR and set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Forensic analysis of the recovered weapon is underway.
Mehajbeen’s family expressed anguish over the cover-up. “Our daughter was bleeding and fighting for her life, while officials were claiming it was a road accident. We demand strict punishment not only for the killer but also for those who tried to hide the truth,” a family member said.
The incident has raised serious questions about the conduct of Indian forces and the role of police in shielding perpetrators. Observers point out that the attempt to disguise a cold-blooded murder as a road accident fits a disturbing pattern seen in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where crimes involving Indian forces are often downplayed or misrepresented until public pressure forces accountability.
