Case of mysterious deaths in Rajouri being pushed under carpet: BJP leader

Senior BJP leader and party spokesperson Tahir Choudhary has raised serious concerns over the ongoing probe into the 17 mysterious deaths in Badhaal village of Rajouri, alleging that the matter is being “pushed under the carpet” as the investigation remains inconclusive.

Choudhary in a statement said that despite multiple teams of experts from top national health institutions and forensic agencies being roped in, authorities have failed to provide a clear answer regarding the cause of these tragic deaths, most of whom were children.

He accused the Omar Abdullah-led J&K government of lacking transparency and urged to expedite the probe to reveal the truth.

“The people of Rajouri deserve to know the truth. The victims’ families are still in distress, and the entire village is living in fear. How can such a large-scale tragedy take place, and yet, even after weeks of investigations, there is no conclusive finding?” he questioned.

While reports indicate that toxicological analysis detected neurotoxins in biological specimens, Choudhary argued that the J&K administration has not been forthcoming about the exact nature of the toxins or how they entered the food chain.

He also criticised the authorities for shutting down pesticide shops in the district without a clear explanation. “The SIT (formed by police) must work with complete transparency and its findings should be made public at the earliest. Any attempt to suppress facts will only deepen the public’s mistrust in the system,” he asserted.

Choudhary urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally intervene and ensure that the investigation is carried out with urgency and fairness.

17 people from three families had died in Rajouri within a span of over one month in December and January that had rattled the health experts. Sensing foul play, an SIT was constituted.

Interestingly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had in January ordered the constitution of an inter-ministerial team to visit Badhaal to investigate the deaths. However, no conclusive report has been tabled in the public domain as of now.