Rajouri, Jan 20: A high-level inter-ministerial team, deputed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Monday visited Badhaal village in Rajouri to join the ongoing investigation into 17 mysterious deaths that have occurred there since December 7, 2024.
The team, headed by Director G K Garg of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), aimed to uncover the cause of the deaths and provide relief to the affected families.
The team reached Rajouri on Sunday evening where a high-level meeting was convened at Dak Bungalow (Rajouri) wherein local authorities briefed it (the inter-ministerial team) about the investigation conducted so far.
The team members received a briefing from senior district, health, and police officers before heading to the village early on Monday.
Accompanied by dozens of senior officers of various departments, the team reached Badhaal around 11.30 am and visited the bereaved families even as grave diggers were preparing the last resting place of Yasmeen Kousar, the sixth child of Muhammad Aslam who breathed her last at the SMGS hospital in Jammu on Sunday evening.
Besides the burial of Yasmeen, the village also saw a subdued wedding of one inhabitant during the day amid massive activities surrounding the 16-member inter-ministerial team’s visit.
The central team divided itself in two groups immediately after reaching the village to undertake an investigation.
It (team) inspected all three houses, belonging to the families which lost their loved ones.
Experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, headed by a Director-rank official, collected fresh samples from one of the houses, which would help in the investigation.
“The team also interacted with affected family members and local administration officials to gather more information,” official sources said.
The team conducted its investigation for around six hours there.
After concluding its visit to the affected village (Badhaal), the team reached Dak Bungalow Rajouri, where another meeting with all the investigation agencies, concerned departments and experts began in the evening to discuss further plan of action, officials said.
On January 18, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered the constitution of this inter-ministerial team to investigate the mysterious deaths.
The team consists of experts from various ministries, including health, agriculture, and chemicals and fertilizers along with experts from various renowned institutes of the country.
