Srinagar, March 15: Two minor Gujjar boys, who had been missing from the Rajbagh-Hardo Muthi area of Kathua district for several days, have been successfully traced and reunited with their families, police on Saturday said.
SSP Kathua Shobhit Saxena told Rising Kashmir that after continuous efforts, the boys were successfully traced and safely handed over to their families. Further investigations into the circumstances of their disappearance are underway, he said.
The missing boys, identified as 15-year-old Din Muhammad (also known as Deenu), son of Swaru, and his 12-year-old nephew, Rehmat Ali, son of Makhan Din, had gone missing under mysterious circumstances.
According to police records, Deenu left his home in Hardo Muthi, Rajbagh, on February 27 to visit his sister in Panwarwan village, Marheen, about two kilometers away. The next day, he took his nephew Rehmat Ali along to attend a wedding in their village.
After the event, the two boys went out to graze cattle but never returned home, triggering a frantic search by their families and local authorities.
“During the search operation, interstate routes were also monitored, and contractors in both Kashmir and Jammu were informed about the missing boys. After an extensive search, both minors were found and safely handed over to their families,” he said.
SSP further said further details regarding their disappearance and subsequent tracing remain under investigation. Now both will be counselled with the help of medical team, he added.
Regarding Kathua killings, SSP Shobhit Saxena said that search operations in upper reaches of Kathua are still underway, till the investigation report is fully investigated.
“We are investigating this case on the basis of facts not on theories,” he said, adding that in the coming days we will be able to get success. It is about a 1000 square kilometre area and has very difficult terrain, he added.
The deceased, identified as cousins Yogesh (32) and Darshan (40), along with their nephew Varun (14), were found in the river on Saturday evening. They 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 three reportedly got separated from the group. Upon reaching Surag, other members of the wedding party realized they were missing and promptly informed the police.
Given the history of terrorist activity in the area, security forces launched an intensive search operation, initially considering the possibility of a terror-related incident.
