Kashmir: 23-year-old man’s body found in stream Kulgam, family alleges custodial death

The body of a 23-year-old man from Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir was recovered from a stream after he was detained for questioning over alleged terror links. While the police claim he jumped into the stream while trying to escape, his family has alleged custodial death.

The victim, identified as Imtiyaz Ahmed, was detained by the police on suspicion of being a member of a Lashkar-e-Taiba sleeper cell. According to police, they took him to a hideout location for identification, when he jumped into the fast-flowing Vaishow stream in an attempt to flee and drowned.

According to police, Imtiyaz’s role came to the fore during an investigation of an encounter on April 23, where two terrorists escaped after a brief exchange of fire with security forces. Police sources also claim that Imtiyaz confessed to having knowledge of a Lashkar hideout during questioning, following which he was taken to the location he had given.

It was during this time that he jumped into the Vaishow stream to escape and drowned, police said, releasing drone footage that shows Imtiyaz jumping into the fast stream and being swept away.

However, Ahmed’s family has strongly contested the police’s version of events, alleging foul play and accusing the authorities of a custodial killing.

This incident has drawn comparisons to an earlier case where the bodies of three missing Gujjar youths from Kulgam were also recovered from the Vaishow stream. That case remains under investigation.

The latest death has triggered widespread outrage across the Union Territory, with political leaders demanding accountability.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the incident raises serious questions and alleged foul play by the authorities.

Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack, she said, “If a single act of violence can shake the entire system, triggering arbitrary arrests, home demolitions, and the targeting of innocent civilians, then the perpetrators have already achieved their objective”.

Sakina Itoo, a state Cabinet Minister who visited Ahmed’s residence, demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident. According to news agency PTI, Itoo claimed there was nothing against the deceased in police records.

“There should be a judicial probe (into Magray’s death) so that the truth comes out,” she was quoted as saying.

On April 22, members of a terror outfit linked to Lashkar killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in the Baisaran Valley of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. In response, security forces launched a massive anti-terror operation and detained several individuals for questioning.

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