In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the families of three men who died under mysterious circumstances nine months ago in Kathua district have begun an indefinite hunger strike, saying that Indian police and administration are deliberately stalling the investigation to shield the culprits. According to Kashmir Media Service, the families, led by Chamail Singh—who lost his 15-year-old son Varun Singh, his brother Yogesh Singh, and brother-in-law Darshan Singh—said the hunger strike inside the Shiv Temple in Malhar after offering special prayers.

Locals from several nearby villages, including Madoon, Deota, Machhedi, Lohai and Kund, joined the protest, demanding the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The three victims went missing on March 5 while travelling to attend a wedding, and their bodies were recovered three days later near a waterfall in the remote Malhar area.  Chamail Singh said the prolonged delay “amounts to a denial of justice,” accusing the police of mishandling the case and withholding key documents.

He noted that neither the post-mortem nor forensic reports have been made public even after months of repeated appeals. “My son and relatives were murdered and thrown into the Ishu Nullah. We have been running from pillar to post, but the administration has done nothing,” he told reporters. He said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the incident has failed to submit a final report, fuelling suspicions that the matter is being hushed up for “unknown reasons.” 

Protesters said the Indian authorities’ evasive approach has deepened mistrust among the local population, who believe that only an independent investigation can bring out the truth. They vowed to continue the hunger strike until the case is fully investigated. Rights activists in the region say the Kathua episode exposes a familiar pattern in IIOJK—where unexplained killings, delayed investigations and withheld reports are routinely used to deflect accountability, particularly when official narratives appear weak or politically motivated. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)