Kishtwar: Hundreds of people gathered in the remote Dachhan area of Kishtwar district on Friday to bid a tearful farewell to two Special Police Officers (SPOs) who were killed in a suspected terrorist attack, as Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha paid tribute to the slain personnel and strongly condemned the killing.
The bullet-riddled bodies of Babi Chand (57) and Rashpal Kumar (45), both residents of Kiyar village, were recovered from a forest area in Dachhan early Thursday, a day after they went missing while travelling for patrolling duty.
The remains of the two personnel were accorded a solemn farewell in Dachhan, where a wreath-laying ceremony was held amid slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and tributes to their service. Senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, police officers and government officials attended the ceremony and paid their last respects.
The bodies were later taken to their respective homes, where grieving family members, relatives and locals gathered to pay their tributes. Both personnel were subsequently cremated with full honours, officials said.
In a post on X, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the loss of the two police personnel and condemned the attack.
“I am deeply grieved by the tragic loss of the brave personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Police, who laid down their lives in line of duty at Kishtwar. I strongly condemn the cowardly attack,” he said.
Sinha said their courage, dedication and service to the nation would always be remembered and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families, assuring them of support and solidarity.
According to officials, the two SPOs were posted with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police at Kiyar village in Dachhan. They went missing on Wednesday while travelling from their camp towards an Army post for patrolling duty in the Deharna-Marwah area.
Their bodies were recovered from a location at an altitude of around 8,858 feet between Deharna and Kiyar villages. A preliminary investigation has ruled out the possibility of their abduction before the killings, officials said.
The service weapons of the two SPOs, an INSAS rifle and a .303 rifle, along with magazines and ammunition, were missing and are believed to have been taken away by the assailants. Empty cartridges of Pakistani-origin armour-piercing steel-core ammunition were also recovered from the scene.
A massive search operation was underway for the third consecutive day to identify, track down and neutralise those responsible for the killings.
Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat visited Kishtwar district headquarters on Thursday evening to review the situation, while Inspector General of Police, Jammu Range, Tejinder Singh was expected to visit the area, officials said.
The two SPOs were locals familiar with the difficult terrain of the region. The remote Dachhan valley has limited road connectivity, with the incident site located deep in the mountainous belt, around 50 km from Kishtwar town.
