Banihal: A 25-year-old man was reported missing on Sunday after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of unidentified assailants and is believed to have fallen into a stream in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, and Senior Superintendent of Police, Arun Gupta, visited the site near Makarkoot along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway to oversee the rescue operation jointly launched by police and local volunteers, they added.
Tanveer Ahmad Chopan, a resident of MundkhalPogal in Ukhral tehsil, was travelling from Jammu towards his native village in a Tata Mobile vehicle ferrying a milch cow and two calves when he was allegedly chased and assaulted by unidentified cow vigilantes, locals claimed.
According to eyewitness accounts, Chopan either jumped or was thrown into the nearby Nallah Bishlari. This incident has sparked widespread outrage and tension in the area.
Officials informed that a case is being registered, and CCTV footage from the highway is currently under review.
“Deeply shocked and anguished by the tragic and highly disturbing incident at Magarkote, where a person from Pogal, carrying a domesticated animal, was reportedly chased from Digdole and brutally assaulted by miscreants. Disturbingly, the individual is currently reported missing, which adds to the grave concern surrounding the incident. Such barbaric acts have no place in a civilised society and appear to be a direct attempt to vitiate the hard-earned peace and harmony of our otherwise peaceful Ramban district,” National Conference MLA Sajad Shaheen said.
Shaheen visited the scene and urged the people to maintain law and order.
“I have spoken to the DC Ramban and SSP Ramban, urging them to conduct a time-bound and impartial investigation to ascertain the facts and trace the missing person at the earliest. All those involved must be identified and dealt with strictly. Accountability must be fixed, and the rule of law must prevail,” he said.
MLA Ramban Arjun Singh Raju and senior Congress leader Vikar Rasool Wani also expressed their concerns over the incident, demanding a thorough investigation and strict punishment for the culprits.
In response to the incident, Shadab Wani, the President of Beopar Mandal Banihal, announced a one-day strike in Banihal town to protest on Monday.
