Kulgam youth’s death: Officials issues statement

Hours after the death of 22-year-old youth from south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, whose body was found in a river, Police sources said that the deceased was an Over Ground Worker (OGW) who died by suicide after jumping into a river during a counterinsurgency operation.

According to the sources, the deceased, Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray, son of Nazir Ahmad Magray, and a resident of Tangmarg in Manzgam, had “confessed knowledge” of a terrorist hideout sheltering two Pakistani militants.

Officials said that on the morning of May 4, during a cordon and search operation (CASO), Magray was taken to the suspected hideout near the riverbed under “close supervision,” which was being monitored via drone and videography.

“It is reliably learnt that he was aware of the first terrorist hideout busted by security forces on April 23 in the Tangmarg forest. Today, while locating a second hideout, he jumped into the Vishaw Nallah, likely attempting to escape via the river route, and died by suicide,” a senior Police official from Kulgam said.

Legal proceedings have been initiated, according to police sources.

Magray’s body was later recovered from the Adbal Watoo stream, prompting public outcry and allegations of foul play.

Locals, as per Mehbooba Mufti, alleged that he had gone missing two days earlier and was last seen in army custody. His body was taken to District Hospital Kulgam for medico-legal formalities before being handed over to his family.

The incident has drawn widespread attention, with political leaders demanding accountability.

Senior National Conference leader and Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo visited the bereaved family and demanded a judicial probe. Addressing the media at their home, she said the Jammu and Kashmir government “stands in solidarity” with the family.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also reacted strongly, calling for an impartial investigation. She described the incident as part of a “deeply troubling pattern” and warned that arbitrary actions in the name of security could further erode public trust and destabilize the region.