Rajouri, Jan 15 (KINS): Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the mysterious deaths of 14 individuals, including 11 children, from three families in Badhaal village of Rajouri district over the past month, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Amid growing public concern, the administration has instructed officials to analyze reports from various institutions to uncover the cause of the deaths. Preliminary findings indicate the presence of neurotoxins in samples from the deceased, which are being further examined to determine the exact reasons behind the fatalities.
The 11-member SIT, led by Superintendent of Police (Operations) Budhal, Wajahat Hussain, has been tasked with handling the sensitive investigation. The formation of the SIT was announced in an order by Senior Superintendent of Police Rajouri, Gaurav Sikarwar.
According to four daily diary reports (DDRs) filed at Kandi Police Station on December 7, 12, 23, and January 12, the deceased include a man and his four children, a woman and her three children, and a man and his four grandchildren, all of whom died under suspicious circumstances.
The SIT comprises Deputy Superintendent of Police of Kandi Vikram Sarmhal, SHO Kandi Abrar Khan, SHO of Women Police Station Rajouri Sushma Thakur, Inspector Rajeev Kumar, Sub-Inspector
Pankaj Sharma, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Pawan Sharma. Additionally, experts from Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Microbiology, Pediatrics, and Pathology departments have been included to ensure a thorough investigation.
The team will also draw upon the expertise of professionals from the Food Safety, Agriculture, and Jal Shakti (Public Health Engineering) Departments, as well as specialists from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Jammu.
The SIT has been directed to provide weekly updates on the investigation to the district police office. As the probe progresses, authorities remain focused on identifying the cause of the tragic deaths and preventing similar incidents in the future.(KINS)
Special investigation team formed to probe mysterious deaths of 14 in Rajouri Village
