2 PSOs suspended, Iltija alleges govt vendetta over Kathua visit

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti alleged on Monday that two of her personal security officers (PSOs) were suspended after she visited the family of a young man in Kathua who died by suicide following alleged police torture.

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Iltija, the daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has claimed that the youth, Makhan Din, took his own life as he was unable to bear the police torture over alleged links with terrorists.

Makhan Din, a Gujjar youth from Billawar, died on Tuesday evening after consuming insecticide. Before his death, he recorded a video asserting his innocence and denying any connection to terrorists. The police and local administration have launched separate investigations into the incident.

Iltija was briefly detained at the Government Circuit House on Sunday following her visit to Billawar in Kathua, where she met Makhan Din’s family.

Speaking to the media in Jammu on Monday, Iltija said, “My two PSOs have been suspended. Their fault was that they did not stop me from going to Kathua. The government wanted to prevent me from exposing the atrocities committed against common people.”

She further alleged that the government was not taking action against police officials who were “extorting money in Billawar from poor youths.”

Iltija also accused the L-G administration and CM Abdullah’s government of failing to ensure the safety of civilians.

“I had to sneak out of Srinagar in the evening like a thief to reach Kathua. I managed to get there, but Omar Abdullah is still in Delhi hosting lunches. Even when the deaths in Badhaal (Rajouri) occurred, Omar was in Delhi. It seems his priority is socialising rather than addressing the grievances of the people,” she said.

She demanded a judicial inquiry into the Kathua incident and alleged that the local SHO was pressing false militancy charges against youths to extort money.

“If my PSOs were suspended so quickly, why has no action been taken against the SHO who has instilled fear in Kathua and extorted money from innocent youth? Locals told me that those who fail to pay are labelled as overground workers (OGWs) of terrorists,” she stated.