Kishtwar killings raise questions: Why were the cops sent to a base with its own SOG unit?

The deaths of two Special Police Officers in Jammu & Kashmir's Kishtwar have raised questions over why they were sent on an assignment to an adjoining tehsil despite the presence of a local unit there. The two personnel — Bobby Chand and Rachpal Kumar — who were killed in a shootout this week were cremated at their native Kiyar village in Kishtwar’s Dachhan area on Friday.

Officials told The Indian Express that the two, who were posted at an SOG post in Kiyar village, had been sent to assist at a Temporary Operation Base (TOB) in the adjoining Marwah tehsil, manned by the Army’s counter-insurgency force, the Rashtriya Rifles.

According to officials, security forces deployed on counter-insurgency operations have local police personnel accompanying them to guide them through the area during searches. The Dharna TOB was among several temporary bases set up on mountain tops last year in areas of Kishtwar and Doda districts bordering South Kashmir, Udhampur and Kathua districts.

The bases were intended to help security forces maintain area domination throughout the year, including during winter, and prevent the movement of militants between neighbouring districts. Reaching the TOB involves trekking through dense forests and mountainous terrain.

Personnel have to first reach a mountain top in Kiyar in Dachhan tehsil, descend towards Dharna village in Marwah tehsil and then climb towards another mountain top, a senior official said while explaining the topography of the area.

“It’s a nearly 7-8 hour walk through dense mountainous forests from Kiyar village,” the official said. The two SPOs were headed towards the mountain ridge near Dharna when they came under fire, another official said. They retaliated, and nearly 40 rounds were fired during the exchange.

Their bullet-riddled bodies were recovered the next morning, the official said. “Their weapons, including an INSAS rifle and a .303 rifle, were missing, raising suspicion about the involvement of militants active in the area,” the official said.

The deaths, which have not been officially confirmed as an act of terror, have also raised questions over the decision to deploy personnel from Kiyar to Dharna, which has its own SOG unit. The Kiyar SOG post, which has four personnel, had been sending two of them at a time to the Dharna TOB for week-long duty since last month.

A seven-day roster had been drawn up for this purpose, a senior official said. Meanwhile, the bodies were cremated after BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma told villagers that the Lieutenant Governor had agreed to the families' demands for financial assistance under SRO 43, reinstatement of the police post in Kiyar, setting up an SOG camp near the Kiyar forests and an inquiry into the incident.

According to sources, Sharma spoke to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha after local residents became restive on receiving the bodies and alleged that no senior police officer had visited the area following the killings. Paying tribute to the two personnel, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday that they had laid down their lives in the line of duty.

“I am deeply grieved by the tragic loss of brave personnel of Jammu & Kashmir Police who laid down their lives in the line of duty at Kishtwar,” the LG said in a post on X. “Their courage, unwavering dedication, and selfless service to the nation will always be remembered.

My deepest condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of immense grief. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them in solidarity,” he added. Following the killings, old Jammu and Kashmir Police posters announcing a cash reward of Rs 30 lakh for information leading to the apprehension or neutralisation of three militants resurfaced at some places in the area.