Second missing person’s body recovered in J&K’s Kulgam

Srinagar: The J&K Police said on Sunday that they have recovered the body of the second person among three people who went missing in Kulgam district on February 13.

“The dead body of Showkat Ahmad Bajad, son of Mohammad Sadiq Bajad, resident of Chata Doonda, Rajouri (currently residing in Chandian Pajan, Qazigund) was found in Vaishow Nallah at Mah Ashmuji area in Kulgam district today morning,” police said.

Three persons belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) Gujjar community, namely Riyaz Ahmad Bajad, his younger brother Showkat Ahmad Bajad, and a third person, Mukhtar Ahmad, went missing from Qazigund on February 13.

After they went missing on February 13, their families lodged a missing person report at the local police station.

The body of another youth, Riyaz Ahmad Bajad, was found three days back from the same Nallah (Stream).

All three persons belonged to the Rajouri district of Jammu division and were working as labourers in the Qazigund area of the Kulgam district in the Valley.

Three of them had left for Ashmuji village in Kulgam on February 13 to attend a function in a relative’s house. However, they went missing before reaching their destination.

Their mobile phones had remained switched off since their disappearance.

A search operation to locate the missing persons was launched by the Kulgam police, SDRF, and NDRF.

Till now, two bodies have been recovered, while a search is on to locate the third missing person, Mukhtar Ahmad.

Parliament member and senior Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad went to offer condolences to the bereaved family of Riyaz Ahmad Bajad.

Mian Altaf demanded compensation for the family of the victim and had hoped police would trace and bring back the remaining two persons alive.

With the recovery of the second dead body, the hope of the third person still being alive now runs low.

In almost identical circumstances, three persons, including a minor boy, went missing in the Kathua district on March 5 while they were part of a marriage party.

Their bodies were later recovered by the security forces from the higher reaches of the Kathua district two days after they went missing on March 5.

IANS