Jammu and Kashmir missing constable case: Kashmiri Pandits demand CBI probe

JAMMU: Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits today held demonstrations in Jammu city to protest against the police failure to trace a constable who went missing from Kupwara district 11 days ago and demanded a CBI probe into it.

Over 500 Kashmiri Pandits assembled at Press club premises here and held protest demonstration against the failure of the police to trace Constable Sameer Kumar who not reported for duty since May 14.

They took out protest rally in the area and demanded CBI probe into it.

"We have no faith in the police. Police has given a twist to the case by making a false statement. Police should withdraw the statement that cop has committed suicide. We want probe into it by CBI," All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) President, Ravinder Raina told reporters during the protest.

Raina said, "Police and security forces should trace the cop as we feel that he has been kidnapped by the militants and the version given by the SPO, who was accompanying him, is totally false as he is involved into his disappearance".

The National Conference Minority Cell President, M K Yogi said that Kashmiri Pandit community suspects a foul play into the disappearance of the cop as militants have been repeatedly targeting policemen in Kashmir Valley.

The Kashmiri migrants also held protests at Nagrota and Jagti camps and blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for some time.

Posted in Srinagar, the constable had gone to Kupwara along with his uncle Head Constable Dileep Kumar.

According to reports, after dropping his uncle at district police lines Kupwara, the constable reached Yonsoo bridge at Chogal, Handwara, and "jumped into the Puhroo river reportedly under the influence of liquor," a police official had said.

Yesterday, Jammu and Kashmir police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to trace a constable who went missing from Kupwara district.

Constable Sameer Kumar has not reported for duty since May 14 and a missing report stands lodged in Sherghari police station in this regard, a police spokesman had said.