Preliminary autopsy report rules out terror angle in Kathua civilian killings

Srinagar, Mar 14: Authorities have ruled out a terror angle in the deaths of three civilians found in a river in the Malhar area of Kathua district last week. Preliminary autopsy findings, conducted by a board of doctors, suggest the victims died due to a fall into a gorge, officials reported.
A senior official involved in the autopsy clarified that while preliminary findings were shared with the police on the same day as the postmortem, final conclusions will be withheld until the viscera report is received. “The viscera samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory in Chandigarh for further analysis,” he said.
Officials added that two of the deceased suffered head injuries, likely from the fall into the nearly 300-foot-deep gorge. The third victim sustained vascular damage to his left shoulder, potentially caused by tree branches during the fall.
“A backpack, believed to belong to one of the victims, was found entangled in tree branches within the gorge, further supporting the theory of an accidental fall,” the official stated.
The preliminary findings do not show any bullet wounds or injuries from sharp-edged weapons. If a terrorist group had been involved, they would have claimed responsibility by now, as Pakistan-based terrorist outfits typically leave behind a message after an attack, the official added.
Meanwhile, SSP Kathua Shobhit Saxena told Rising Kashmir that the investigation is still ongoing. “We have received the post-mortem report, but until the case is concluded, we cannot comment on its findings,” he said.
The deceased were identified as cousins Yogesh (32) and Darshan (40), along with their 14-year-old nephew Varun. Their bodies were discovered in the river on Saturday evening. The three had been part of a wedding procession traveling from Billawar’s Dehota village to Surag village in Malhar on Thursday night.
Around 8:30 pm, while passing through the Inchhu forest area, the trio reportedly got separated from the group. Upon reaching Surag, other members of the wedding party realized they were missing and immediately notified the police.
Given the history of terrorist activity in the region, security forces launched an intensive search operation, initially considering the possibility of a terror-related incident.
Regarding two Gujjar boys missing from Rajbagh area of Kathua, SSP Kathua Shobhit Saxena confirmed that efforts are ongoing to trace them. “We have formed dedicated police teams to track them down. The boys left home due to family issues, and their families reported the matter to the police ten days later. We have circulated their photographs to help generate leads,” he said.
As per police records, 15-year-old Deen (also known as Deenu), son of Swaru, a resident of Hardo Muthi in Rajbagh, left home on February 27 to stay with his sister in Panwarwan village, Marheen, about two kilometers away. The following day, he took his 12-year-old nephew, Rehmat Ali, son of Makhan Din, to attend a marriage function in their village. Afterward, the boys went out to graze cattle and have not been seen since.
Police teams are actively investigating the case and urging anyone with information about the missing children to come forward.