SRINAGAR: Senior political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have called for an independent and transparent investigation into the death of 23-year-old Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray, whose body was recovered from a rivulet in the Adbal Wattoo area of Kulgam district on Sunday.
Press Release on the unfortunate death in Kulgam pic.twitter.com/KtHBbNy6Jr
— Office of Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (@Office_ASRM) May 4, 2025
Srinagar Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi described the incident as part of a “disturbing pattern” of alleged rights violations. “According to credible reports, Imtiyaz was picked up by security forces days ago, and today he was returned to his family lifeless,” Mehdi said in a statement, adding that the fallout of the recent Pahalgam terror attack should not translate into collective punishment for Kashmiris. “Custodial killings and arbitrary detentions are in complete violation of democratic and legal principles,” he said.
Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also expressed grave concern. “Yet another body has been recovered from a river in Kulgam, raising serious allegations of foul play,” she said. Citing local claims that Magray had been detained by the army two days earlier, Mufti warned against sweeping actions in the name of counterterrorism. “If a single act of violence can shake the entire system, triggering arbitrary arrests, home demolitions, and the targeting of innocent civilians, then the perpetrators have already achieved their objective,” she said.
Yet another body has been recovered from a river in Kulgam raising serious allegations of foul play. Local residents allege that Imtiyaz Magray was picked up by the army two days ago and now mysteriously his body has surfaced in the river.
The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam… https://t.co/z2q3OJPa7m— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) May 4, 2025
In contrast, police officials have maintained that Magray was an active Over Ground Worker (OGW) of militants. A senior police officer told local news gathering agency JKNS that Magray had been assisting forces in locating hideouts and that during one such operation near a riverbed, he “suddenly jumped into the river and died while apparently attempting to escape.” The official added that drone footage had captured the incident and that legal formalities had been initiated.
Imtiyaz, a resident of Tangmarg in north Kashmir, was reportedly aware of hideouts used by foreigners, including one busted on April 23 in nearby forests. His body was recovered after an extensive search in the area, the police said.
Sakina Itoo, a cabinet minister, visited the bereaved family and sought a probe into the case of the youth who was arrested and later his body was the river. She sought a judicial probe and asserted that he was labourer and the family is por and they lack involvement.
Reports appearing in the media suggest that the security grid has busted a major hideout in the area and recovered a lot of items, including food, cooking systems and clothing. The hideout was operating in the Tangmarg belt, according to the videos put on social media.
