Two Missing J&K Police SPOs Found Dead in Kishtwar; Service Weapons Missing

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who went missing along with their service weapons in the Dachhan area of Kishtwar district on November 11, were found dead on Thursday, officials said.

The deceased were identified as Rashpal Kumar, 45, and Babbi Chand, 57, both residents of Kiyar Dachhan.

According to officials, the two policemen had gone missing while travelling towards Dherana to report for duty at a temporary base of the Army’s 17 Rashtriya Rifles in Marwah. However, they failed to reach their destination, triggering a search operation by police and security forces.

Their bodies were subsequently recovered from the area, but their service weapons were missing, raising concerns among security agencies.

“The bodies have been found but weapons are missing,” an official said, requesting anonymity.

Gunshots Heard Before SPOs Went Missing

Locals reportedly heard several gunshots in the forested stretch between Kiyar and Dherana shortly before the two SPOs lost contact with their colleagues.

The reports prompted police and security forces to launch a joint search operation in the rugged terrain.

The search teams faced challenging conditions due to the area’s difficult geography and extensive forest cover. The recovery of the bodies has now raised questions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths and the whereabouts of their missing weapons.

Officials have not yet established the exact sequence of events or confirmed who was responsible for the killings.

Security Concerns in Kishtwar District

The incident comes amid continuing counter-insurgency operations in the mountainous Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Security officials said successive operations have resulted in the elimination of several active terrorists, significantly weakening militant networks in the district.

However, the difficult terrain, dense forests and remote settlements continue to create operational challenges for security forces.

The disappearance and subsequent recovery of the two SPOs’ bodies are likely to prompt further scrutiny of security arrangements and movement protocols in the region.

Senior Police Officials Yet to Comment

Attempts to obtain comments from senior police officials remained unsuccessful.

Repeated calls and text messages to Inspector General of Police (Jammu) Tejinder Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range) Sargun Shukla and Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Sunny Gupta went unanswered.

Further details regarding the circumstances of the deaths, the missing weapons and the possibility of militant involvement are awaited as the investigation continues.