KULGAM, INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR – The recent recovery of the bodies of Showkat Ahmad Bhajad and Riyaz Ahmad Bhajad from Kulgam stream in Indian-administered Kashmir brought a wave of grief and suspicion that swept through Kashmir’s Gujjar community. Authorities assert that the brothers drowned, but their family members claim “marks of injury on their bodies, telling a dramatically different tale.”
Adding to the grief of the community, a third man, Mukhtar Ahmad Awan, who disappeared at the same time as the Bhajad brothers, is still missing, heightening fears of foul play.
The calamity has highlights the helplessness of Kashmir’s marginalized Gujjar community, a traditionally nomadic pastoral group that has often struggled with socioeconomic marginalization.
These incidents, compounded by Mukhtar’s disappearance and allegations of similar murders of Gujjar youth in Kathua district, have once again inflamed long-standing fears over the community’s safety. The trust between authorities and tribal groups has long since been broken.
Earlier, in a tragic incident, 17 people in Badhal village – including 14 children from three related families – died of a “mysterious illness” between December 7 and mid-January. The cause of death remains unknown, and the government has yet to issue an official statement, raising concerns and fueling speculation within the local Gujjar community.
Now the deaths of two more Gujjar youths have sparked both fear and anger.
Showkat and Riyaz, with their cousin Mukhtar, went missing after attending a wedding in a local village on February 13. Their disappearance led to an extensive search for a month. The search unfortunately ended in the recovery of the two brothers’ bodies from the Vishow Canal in Kulgam in mid-March. Mukhtar is still missing.
The recovery of the bodies triggered protests in Kulgam and Jammu district by tribal citizens and youth leaders, and spurred by accusations of foul play. A viral video showing a police officer kicking a tribal woman further inflamed community distrust and increased concerns. Police officials said they would set up a special committee to probe the alleged misconduct.
“A video has surfaced on social media regarding a police officer’s conduct with the protesters in Kulgam. We have taken cognizance of yesterday’s incident and the allegations regarding the officers conduct. DIG SKR will inquire and submit his findings within 10 days,” the police wrote on X.
The incident has attracted widespread political interest throughout the Kashmir Valley. Members of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and political parties have also reinforced demands for an independent investigation, stressing ‘the urgent need to preserve public trust in the administration.’
Meema Begum, the mother of Showkat and Riyaz, cried out tearfully for answers. “My sons were innocent, laborers at a brick kiln. They had no enemies,” she said.
Wiping away tears, she went on to say, “We want justice for whoever used these marks to hurt my sons and murder them. They attended a wedding and never returned.”
While police authorities assert that the deaths were “due to drowning, based on initial forensic reports,” the families consistently deny this conclusion.
“The injuries on their bodies were not those of drowning,” said Mohammad Jeelani, uncle to the dead, who witnessed the retrieval. “These were signs of trauma, a chilling reminder of the helplessness we constantly endure.”
The Kulgam case reminded people of the recent mysterious deaths of three persons in Kathua. Recurring incidents have combined to create a rising sense of targeted violence and impunity among the Gujjar community.
And before that was the Makhan Din case, where charges of alleged killing caused him to take his own life.
Before his tragic death, Din sat in a quiet corner of his home, his hands trembling as he reached for the Quran from the wooden shelf behind him. With a deep breath, he placed the sacred book on his head, his voice unsteady as he swore he had never encountered any militants. In a video he filmed and posted to social media, he claimed to have endured “torture” and “humiliation” at the hands of the police.
“Oh Allah, if my suffering can spare others, let it be so,” he said in a prayer before shutting off the phone. The viral went viral on social media in February.
Amir Chowdhury, a tribal activist who has protested in Jammu district, said that the Gujjar community is protesting and denouncing the coercive measures being undertaken by police to stifle their voices. “We have been compelled to take to the streets,” he said.
“In Kulgam, our youth went missing a month ago, and in a suicide case, one person takes their own life. But here, we have seen two dead bodies within three days – how is that possible?” he questioned.
According to Amir, the water level in Kulgam’s streams is quite low, barely a few feet deep. It is deeply concerning to find bodies in such shallow water and witness such incidents, he said.
According to The Indian Express, Kulgam’s Senior Superintendent of Police Sahil Sarangal said that the police have already established a Special Investigation Team to look into the latest deaths. “We are waiting for the report of the FSL (forensic science laboratory),” he said.
Eyewitnesses from the family of the deceased who were present during the handing over of the bodies narrated the horrific state of the remains. “The devastation was not in the manner of a simple drowning. There was injury, there were boil-like marks,” one of the eyewitnesses and a relative, Ghulam Nabi, described.
He added that the family is united in their call for a full and unbiased inquiry. “We will not rest until we know the truth,” Nabi shouted, echoing sentiments of other bereaved relatives. “We demand justice and an exhaustive probe. We need to know what became of our loved ones, and we are still looking for Mukhtar Ahmad, who remains missing.”
Bashir Ahmad Bhajad, another uncle of the victims, also demanded justice. “We need to know what happened to our sons. If this was a crime, those responsible must be held accountable,” he said.
Bashir Ahmad also doubted the official drowning story, as he explained that water had drastically decreased in the canal where the bodies were found, and it seemed unlikely anyone could drown there.
“We searched for a month and demanded justice. We demand an independent inquiry and an investigation from the ‘real justice system’ – if it really exists,” he said.