Iltija Mufti Meets Family of Youth Who Died by Suicide After Alleged Police Torture in Kathua
Jammu, Feb 9: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti visited the family of 25-year-old Makhan Din, a Gujjar youth from Billawar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, who tragically took his own life after allegedly being tortured by the police over suspected links to terrorism. Her visit comes amid political turmoil, as she and her mother, PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, claimed to have been placed under house arrest in Srinagar the previous day.
Makhan Din’s death has sparked widespread outrage, with the young man recording a video before consuming insecticide, vehemently denying any connection with terrorists. The disturbing incident has led to separate investigations by both the police and the local administration.
Taking to social media, Mehbooba Mufti expressed her anguish over the situation, stating, “Finally, Iltija managed to reach Billawar in Kathua to meet the bereaved family of Makhan Din, who was driven to suicide by police torture.” She criticized the government, saying that Iltija had to “endure so many obstacles and travel like a fugitive just to offer comfort to the victim’s family.” Mehbooba further accused the ruling party of evading responsibility and shifting blame to the Lieutenant Governor, while asserting that the PDP, as a responsible opposition, will continue to stand by the people and fight for justice.
On Saturday, Iltija had claimed in a social media post that both she and her mother were being forcibly confined to their residence. “I intended to visit Kathua to meet Makhan Din’s family and am not being allowed to even move out. Nothing has changed in Kashmir even after elections. Now even comforting the families of victims is being criminalized,” she wrote on X.
She also revealed that their home was locked down as Mehbooba Mufti had planned to visit Sopore to meet the family of Waseem Mir, a truck driver who was recently shot dead by the army. “Our gates have been locked up because she (Mehbooba) was meant to visit Sopore,” Iltija stated, underscoring what she described as the continuous clampdown on political movements in the region.
