New Delhi: A wave of mysterious deaths in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, has prompted the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to uncover the cause behind the deaths. In the past 40 days, around 16 people, including 11 children, have died under mysterious circumstances, sparking widespread panic and prompting multiple investigations.
The crisis began on December 7th, 2024, in Budhal tehsil, when five locals died of an unknown illness. This prompted the J&K government to dispatch expert teams from prestigious institutions including the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Institute of Virology (NIV), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. These teams conducted extensive testing on 3,500 local residents, analysing water and food samples, but found no evidence of a contagious disease.
Despite these initial negative findings, subsequent waves of deaths continued in the area. J&K Health Minister Sakinoo Itoo confirmed three distinct instances of deaths, totalling around 15, but emphasised that the absence of recurring infections suggests an alternate cause. The Minister stated definitively, “If it was an infection, it would not stop and spread again. Tests have come negative locally and outside as well. No virus was found.”
Adding to the complexity, Congress MLA Rajouri Iftkar Ahmed called for a magisterial inquiry, suggesting a possible conspiracy or food poisoning as the root cause.
The situation prompted a high-level meeting chaired by J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, bringing together representatives from various administrative and health departments to determine the cause. Preliminary government findings from extensive microbiological studies ruled out viral, bacterial, or microbial infections in 13 of the 38 affected individuals, pointing towards alternative explanations.
The newly formed SIT, headed by Superintendent of Police (Operations), Budhal, Wajahat Hussain, comprises police officers and experts from diverse fields including Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Microbiology, Pediatrics, and Pathology. The team will also utilise the expertise of food safety, agriculture, and Jal Shakti (Public Health Engineering) departments, alongside the FSL team in Jammu.
Meanwhile, Gujjar and Bakerwal activists have launched a scathing attack on the J&K government for alleged delayed response to deaths. “While the entire administration, from the Governor’s office to the CMO, comes into action to provide relief during urban crises, it’s heartbreaking that the tragic deaths of 16 villagers have gone unnoticed. These villagers, far from the city’s gaze, have been ignored by politicians and no one has spoken out for them. It’s disheartening to see the current government turn a blind eye to the grave issues faced by economically marginalised communities,” said Gujjar and Bakerwal activist Zahid Parwaz Chaudhary.
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