Srinagar, Jan 16: Fear and uncertainty have overtaken the remote village of Dhari Budhal in the Kotranka area of Rajouri district, as a series of mysterious deaths continues to baffle the local community.
Over the past few weeks, 15 people have died due to an unknown illness, leaving residents anxious and desperate for answers.
The deaths, which have occurred sporadically and appear to have no immediate cause, have created an atmosphere of widespread panic in the area.
Locals are living in constant fear, uncertain of the cause behind these fatalities.
In response to the rising alarm, an 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed, led by Wajahat Hussain, Superintendent of Police (Operations) Budhal.
The team raided multiple pesticide shops in the Budhal area to investigate the possibility of poisoning. Around 7-8 shops were sealed in the Budhal area, as many residents from the upper reaches had been purchasing supplies for their cattle from these shops.
A senior police officer at Rajouri said that the deaths are certainly unusual. We are investigating all possible angles, including poisoning, disease, and other external factors. At this stage, we cannot rule anything out, he added.
“So far one person has been detained, he has been identified as Zulfiqar Ahmad Shah son of Mohmmad Shah resident of Budhal Rajouri. In coming days more persons will be questioned regarding the mystery case,” he added.
Farooq Ahmad, a local resident of Buhal told Rising Kashmir that they don’t know why people are dying. It is like a shadow of death is hanging over us, and we are living in constant fear.
“We hope the authorities can uncover the truth. The longer this goes on, the more people will live in fear. We need to understand what’s happening so that we can protect ourselves and our families,” he added.
Farooq said each day, they pray that no more lives are lost. Our children are scared, and we do not let them out of our sight. We need answers to feel safe again, he added.
Another local Waqar Lone, who is a social activist from Budhal told Rising Kashmir that the village has been living in fear and chaos for the past 40 days. People are scared and have lost peace. It should be investigated whatever matter is behind this,” he said.
“I hope the authorities will find out what is happening so we can return to normal life. We have buried 15 people, and this is the first time our village has witnessed such horror,” Lone added.
Earlier villagers have also reported strange symptoms in those who passed away, including sudden illness, unexplained fatigue, and, in some cases, bleeding. This has led to various theories circulating among the locals, from a possible outbreak of a rare disease to something more sinister.
The first incident came to notice on December 7, 2024, when a family of seven fell ill after a community meal, resulting in five fatalities.
On December 12, 2024, a family of nine was affected, with three deaths. The third incident occurred on January 12, 2025, involving a family of ten who fell ill after another community meal, with six children hospitalised.
Following the first incident on December 7, the government deployed a medical team along with the Food Safety Department to collect food and water samples. Medical camps, mobile medical units, door-to-door screenings, and rapid action teams were organised.
