New Delhi: Barely a week after a man from Bandipora was allegedly killed in police custody, the body of a 23-year-old man from Kulgam district, who was reportedly detained by the army last week, was recovered from the Vishaw River in south Kashmir on Sunday (May 4).
The ruling National Conference (NC) has demanded a judicial probe into the death of the youngster identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray, a resident of Tangmarg in the Damhal Hanjipora (DH Pora) area of Kulgam district, who was reportedly picked up in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
The army hasn’t officially reacted to the allegations as of the time of the publication of this report.
However, a statement purportedly issued by the army, which circulated in a WhatsApp group of local reporters in Kulgam district, said that the victim died by suicide after jumping into the river near the Aharbal health resort of south Kashmir while leading a party of security forces to an alleged hideout of militants.
A 38-second video of the alleged suicide was also leaked on X, showing Magray taking a few cautious steps towards the edge of the river, before running and jumping into the river, whose strong currents swept him away.
The Wire can’t independently verify the authenticity of the video, which was shot by a drone.
Senior NC leader and Jammu and Kashmir minister Sakina Itoo, who visited the family on Sunday evening, said that Magray was detained last week.
“This morning, the family got a call that a dead body had been recovered from the river, which later turned out to be of Imtiyaz. It is a painful incident and a collective tragedy for all of us. We stand with the family in this hour of grief,” Itoo, who represents DH Pora in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, said.
According to the statement cited above, the army has admitted that Magray was in their custody and that he had “confessed about knowledge of [a] hideout [of militants] with [the] presence of two Pakistan terrorists”.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
