Third Dead Body of Nomad Found in Veshow Nallah at Kulgam

Kulgam, April 11: In a tragic development, the body of the third missing Gujjar-Bakerwal youth was recovered from the Vaishaw Nallah near the Mah Bhan area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Friday, after 55 days of extensive search efforts.

Officials confirmed that the deceased, Mukhtar Ahmad, had gone missing on February 13 along with two other youths—Riyaz Ahmad Bajad and his younger brother Showkat Ahmad Bajad—all residents of Rajouri. The trio had been en route to Ashmuji, Kulgam, to attend a family function but mysteriously disappeared before reaching their destination.

The body was first spotted by locals, who immediately informed the police. A team was dispatched to the site, where they retrieved the body and shifted it to District Hospital Kulgam for medico-legal formalities.

Earlier, the bodies of Riyaz and Showkat had been recovered from different locations along the Vaishaw Nallah last month, sparking grief and concern in their native area.

Authorities including the NDRF, SDRF, and local police had been engaged in a relentless search operation over the past weeks. “The search concluded today with the recovery of the last body,” an official said.

The tragic case has raised many unanswered questions about the mysterious disappearance of the three nomadic youths, and investigations are ongoing.