Centre constitutes inter-ministerial team to investigate Rajouri deaths

With as many as 16 mysterious deaths over the past 45 days in a Rajouri village, the Centre on Saturday constituted an inter-ministerial team to be led by the Union Home Ministry to ascertain the reason behind it.

Official sources said the team will be headed by a senior Union Home Ministry officer and consist of experts from the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare; Agriculture; Chemicals and Fertilisers, and Water Resources.

It will also be assisted by experts from the animal husbandry, food safety and forensic science laboratories.

The Central government team will proceed to Jammu on Sunday and in collaboration with the local administration also work on providing immediate relief as well as taking precautionary measures to prevent such incidents in the future, sources further informed.

Experts from some of the most reputable institutions of the country have been arranged to manage the situation and understand the causes of the deaths.

At many as 16 people have died of a mysterious cause in Badhaal village of Rajouri district in the past 45 days, even as the police have set up a special investigation team to investigate the reason behind the fatalities.

Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakeena Masood ruled out any mysterious disease as the reason for the deaths, saying all tests conducted both within and outside the Union Territory have shown negative results.

The vicitms complained of fever, pain, nausea and loss of consciousness before dying within days of their admission to hospitals.