Kathua twin murders: Police probe terror, personal rivalry angles

In an effort to unravel the double murder case in Billawar, Kathua, where two individuals were found dead with strangulation marks, the police on Thursday questioned locals to determine if any unidentified individuals were seen in the area before or after the crime.

Authorities have formed a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ascertain whether the murders were the handiwork of terrorists. The bodies of two locals, Roshan Lal (45) and Shamsher (37), were discovered in the fields on Sunday. The victims were residents of Kohag village, but their bodies were found in the nearby Bathari village.

The police are investigating two possible angles: personal rivalry and a terrorist act. They are also exploring a potential connection to another incident in the district, where a Gujjar man, identified as Makhan Din, committed suicide earlier this month after alleged police torture in Billawar. Local police had questioned Makhan Din about his possible role in facilitating terrorist movements in Kathua.

Sources within the police revealed that Makhan Din was the nephew of the dreaded terrorist Swar Din, who had exfiltrated to Pakistan years ago and was operating from there. The SIT will also investigate whether the murders of Roshan and Shamsher were revenge killings for Din’s suicide, possibly intended to send a message to the police.

Meanwhile, security forces continue search operations in the forest area where the two bodies were found. This region has historically served as a route for terrorists infiltrating from the International Border (IB) in Kathua to reach the mountainous areas of the Jammu division.

A case under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at the Billawar police station.

There has been significant political uproar surrounding both the suicide and the murders, with political parties and leaders demanding justice for the families of the deceased.