Srinagar: National Conference (NC) MLA from Budhal constituency Javid Iqbal Choudhary on Thursday called for a judicial probe or an investigation by a central agency into the disappearance and deaths of two Gujjar men in Kulgam.
Referring to the disappearance and deaths of people in Kulgam and the mysterious deaths of 17 people in Budhal, Choudhary said the string of incidents over the last years has shaken up the confidence of the Gujjar community.
On the first day of the recess during the ongoing budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Choudhary visited the bereaved families in Kulgam to gather first-hand information on the circumstances leading up to the disappearance of the two men.
Calling for a judicial probe, he said Gujjars are being targeted.
“A high-level probe through a judicial authority or a central investigation agency into the disappearance and deaths of the Gujjar men in Kulgam and mysterious deaths of 17 people in Budhal should be conducted,” he said.
Two of three missing men, who were eventually found dead, actually belonged to the Khawas area of the Budhal Constituency.
Choudhary said they had migrated from Panglar panchayat in Khawas block of Budhal (Rajouri) to Kulgam in recent years and their families had purchased small pieces of land while the men — Showkat and Riyaz — worked as labourers.
“The mysterious deaths of 17 people in Budhal and subsequently, the disappearance and deaths of two youngsters in Kulgam are far from natural and investigations into the causes are far from appearing convincing,” he said.
After meeting the families and relatives of Showkat and Riyaz, the MLA said, “There are too many visible signs of a deliberate cover up of the circumstances leading to their deaths.”
He said the string of incidents over the past years has “shaken up” the confidence of the Gujjars.
“The Gujjar community is enduring great pain inflicted by invisible hands and at the same time, the shocking indifference of law-enforcing authorities in Jammu, Srinagar and New Delhi is dismaying and worrying,” he added.
Lamenting that it is a tragedy that the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir does not have a mandate over these matters, Choudhary appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to refer these incidents for a judicial probe or get an inquiry conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
