Jammu, March 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched an inquiry into allegations that a police officer kicked a woman during a protest in Kulgam. The action follows the emergence of a viral video on social media showing a disturbing altercation between security personnel and protesters demanding justice for two brothers—Riyaz Ahmad Bajad and Showkat Ahmad Bajad—who were found dead after being reported missing for over a month.
A senior police official confirmed that the probe has been initiated to examine the conduct of the officer in question. “We have taken cognizance of the incident, and the matter is being investigated,” he stated. The Kashmir Zone Police also addressed the incident through an official statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “A video has surfaced on social media regarding a police officer’s conduct with the public in Kulgam. We have taken cognizance of yesterday’s incident and the allegations regarding the officer’s conduct. DIG SKR will enquire and submit his findings within 10 days.”
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from political leaders and social media users, who have denounced the alleged police excesses. National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah strongly criticized the use of force, calling it “disgraceful and inhumane.”
“The tragic deaths of Riyaz and Showkat in Kulgam have left their family in unbearable grief, yet instead of compassion, they are met with brutality. The visuals of a police officer kicking mourning women protesting for justice are disgraceful and inhumane. No family should have to plead for answers in the face of such loss, let alone be assaulted for demanding justice. These deaths must be investigated transparently, and those responsible, both for the tragedy and the shameless police excess, must be held accountable. The increasing number of human rights violations in Kashmir is deeply disturbing,” Ruhullah stated in a social media post.
PDP MLA from Pulwama, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, also condemned the police action and linked it to what he termed as a “tragic pattern of mysterious deaths in tribal areas.”
“The tragic pattern of mysterious deaths continues in tribal areas. After Budhal, Kathua, and now Kulgam, families are left searching for answers. In Kulgam, Riyaz and Mohammad Showkat’s bodies were found, but Mukhtar is still missing. Meanwhile, police action against innocent protesters demanding justice for the Gujjar brothers is uncalled for. The silence from the J&K government is deafening, leaving the pain ignored,” Para wrote on X.
The incident has intensified calls for accountability, with public outrage mounting over the alleged police misconduct. Civil society groups and political parties are now urging the authorities to ensure that the probe is conducted fairly and that those responsible for both the deaths and the alleged assault are brought to justice.