Jammu: A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by a superintendent of police, has been constituted to probe the recent murder of two men in a remote village of Kathua district, officials said on Wednesday.
The bodies of Roshan Lal (45) and Shamsher (37) were recovered from the banks of a stream in Batheri village, Billawar, on February 16. The postmortem report confirmed that both victims had been strangled to death.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of terrorist involvement in the killings.
A joint anti-terror operation involving the police, army, and paramilitary forces has been underway in the nearby forests for the past few days, though no significant breakthrough has been made so far. Officials expressed confidence that the SIT’s formation would expedite the investigation.
On February 17, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the incident and stated that his office is in touch with the local MLA. He assured that concerned officials have been directed to thoroughly investigate the case.
Kathua district, including Billawar, has witnessed terror-related incidents in the past. Last year, an attack on an army patrol in the region resulted in the deaths of five soldiers. Security agencies remain on high alert as the investigation continues. (KINS)
SIT to probe Kathua double murder
