Following wide condemnation by all sections of the society and uproar in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Police on Monday ordered an inquiry as a video surfaced purportedly showing a police officer kicking a woman protester in Kulgam district. The DIG South Kashmir Range (SKR) would enquire into the incident that happened on Sunday and submit a report within 10 days. Protests broke out in the district on Sunday after the body of a youth, who was among three persons missing since last month, was recovered from a water body. Three days earlier, his brother’s body was recovered from the same stream.
A video allegedly showing a policeman kicking a female protester in Kulgam has gone viral on social media .The protesters were demanding a judicial probe into mysterious deaths of two tribal youth, who along with a relative, went missing from their home last month. Showkat Ahmad Bajad, his brother Riyaz Ahmad Bajad, and Mukhtar Ahmad went missing on February 13 while on their way to attend a function at the house of a relative in Ashmuji. However, the trio — who were working as labourers — never reached their destination. Showkat Ahmad Bajad’s body was retrieved from Vaishov nullah in Kulgam district on Sunday while that of his brother was recovered from the same spot a few days ago.
In an identical incident, bodies of three civilians, including a 15-year-old boy, were spotted in the upper reaches of Billawar in Jammu’s Kathua district on Saturday on March 8, 2025. The victims went missing from Lohai Malhar area since March 5 when they were heading home after attending a wedding. Though the government has ordered a probe into the deaths (killings), the findings are yet to be made public.
Both the incidents have left people perplexed and created a sense of insecurity among the masses, particularly from the areas where the incidents have taken place. In such cases, people are well within their rights to agitate and demand proper investigations. They are within their rights to seek answers from the authorities. That is what the relatives of two Kulgam persons and other natives were doing when a police officer allegedly kicked some women protestors. Such kind of action from police is uncalled for. It may be recalled that in Billawar, agitated people even manhandled the sitting MLA, who was rescued by the police but there police behaved responsibly and didn’t use any force against the agitating people. What happened at Kulgam needs to be probed and responsibility fixed.
That said, the government should probe both the incidents in transparent manner and find out the reasons behinds the two incidents. To save the life and limb of the citizenry is the responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir government. Without any further delay, the government should come up with answers to the questions that are haunting the public.