Army commander, other officers pay tributes to rifleman found dead in J-K’s Kulgam

Srinagar, September 23  

General Officer Commanding of Army’s 15 Corps Lt General DP Pandey on Thursday led all ranks in laying wreaths over the mortal remains of rifleman Shakir Manzoor Wagay, whose decomposed body was found in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, a year after his abduction.

“Lt Gen Pandey and all ranks laid wreaths on the mortal remains of the brave heart, Rifleman Shakir Manzoor Wagay of 162 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) at Chinar Corps War Memorial,” a defence spokesman said here.

He said Wagay was on bona fide military duty at Balapur in Shopian on August 2, 2020, when he went missing.

“Security forces had launched an extensive search at that time to locate him. After a comprehensive search, his burnt vehicle was found at Rambhama, Kulgam. However, despite persistent efforts of the security forces, Rifleman Shakir Manzoor Wagay could not be traced,” he said.

Wagay’s father Manzoor Ahmed had anticipated that his son had been abducted by terrorists as some anti-national social media accounts had alleged at that time that the rifleman had been killed and that his body had been deliberately buried at an unidentified location, he said.

“According to the post-mortem report, the death of Late Rifleman Shakir Manzoor is attributable to grievous injuries. The injury marks on him indicate that Rifleman Shakir Manzoor was tortured and murdered in the most brutal and inhumane manner by the terrorists,” the spokesman said.

Rifleman Shakir Manzoor (26) had joined the Army in June 2016. He belonged to village Rishipura in Shopian district and is survived by his parents.

“The mortal remains of Rifleman Shakir Manzoor will be taken for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and remains committed to their dignity and wellbeing,” the spokesman said, adding “all means will be utilised to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice”. —PTI

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