Families Launch Hunger Strike Over Unexplained Kathua Triple Deaths | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Nearly nine months after the unexplained deaths of three relatives in Kathua’s remote Malhar area, members of the bereaved families began an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday, alleging that the police and the administration have said they have been conducting inquiries but have failed to deliver justice. The protesters are seeking that the matter be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency for what they believe would be an impartial investigation.

The bodies of Varun Singh, aged 15, his uncle Yogesh Singh, aged 32, and his maternal uncle Darshan Singh, aged 40, were recovered from a waterfall in Ishu Nallah on March 8, three days after the trio went missing while travelling to attend a marriage ceremony. Since then, the families have been awaiting a conclusive police report, but no findings have been shared.

On Tuesday, three members of the families, led by Chamail Singh—who lost his son and two close relatives in the incident—sat on a hunger strike inside the premises of the Shiv Temple in Malhar. The protest followed a havan held in memory of the deceased and saw participation from residents of Madoon, Deota, Machhedi, Lohai and Kund villages.

The protesters maintained that the prolonged delay in the investigation amounted to a denial of justice. They argued that neither the post-mortem examination nor forensic analyses had been made public, and the special investigation team set up by the police had, in their view, produced no results. They alleged that the deaths were not accidental and insisted that the circumstances suggested a planned crime. They further claimed that they had followed every official channel, from the local police station to senior officers, but without any clarity on the case.

The families have announced that the hunger strike will continue until the investigation is transferred to a national agency and the findings are made transparent.