Banihal: A massive multi-agency search operation intensified on Tuesday in Ramban district for a 25-year-old man feared to have drowned in a mountain stream after an alleged assault by cow vigilantes, even as political reactions poured in over the incident.
Tanveer Ahmad Chopan, a resident of Pogal in Ukhral tehsil, reportedly went missing on Sunday after he was chased and assaulted while transporting a milch cow and two calves in a vehicle from Jammu towards his native village. Eyewitnesses said he jumped into Nallah Bishlari in a desperate attempt to escape.
With no trace of the youth so far, search teams comprising police, SDRF and NDRF personnel, along with local volunteers, resumed combing operations early Tuesday, focusing on boulder-strewn stretches of the fast-flowing stream amid fears that the body could be trapped underneath.
Officials said the operation is being conducted across difficult terrain, with teams also scanning downstream areas in a coordinated effort. Family members and relatives of the missing man have joined the search, while others continue to wait anxiously along the banks.
The incident has triggered protests and tension in the area, with locals, including the victim’s family, blocking the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for over four hours on Monday demanding swift action.
Authorities have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and arrested four persons in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti expressed concern over incidents linked to cow vigilantism and appealed for restraint to preserve peace and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.
Calling for sensitivity, she urged the BJP leadership to avoid actions that could inflame tensions, stressing that dialogue and public engagement remain essential to address grievances and ensure lasting peace in the region.
