Union Minister Jitendra Singh calls Kathua killings a terrorist act, Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha calls for investigation

Union Home Secretary to review security situation in Jammu in a high-level meeting.

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday ordered a thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of three relatives of a family in Kathua district.

Srinagar: As Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan is arriving in Jammu to chair a security review meeting, Union minister Jitendra Singh Sunday said three civilians whose bodies were found in a river flowing through the Inchhu forests in the Malhar area of Kathua district on Saturday were killed by militants.

“The brutal killing of 3 youths by terrorists in Bani area of district Kathua is extremely sad as well as a matter of great concern. There appears to be a deep conspiracy behind spoiling the atmosphere in this peaceful area,” the Minister, who represents Udhampur Parliamentary constituency that covers Kathua, said on X.

“We have discussed this matter with the officials concerned. The Union Home Secretary himself is reaching Jammu so that the situation can be assessed on the spot. I am confident that it will be ensured that such incidents do not happen again and the confidence of the people remains strong,” he said.

Bodies of three individuals—Darshan Singh (40), Yogesh Singh (32), and Varun Singh (15)—who had been missing since Thursday, when they were traveling with a wedding procession near the Ishu forests, were found in a river in Kathua’s Malhar area.

The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba outfit, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killings.

Following the incident, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered a “thorough and transparent” investigation into the incident.

“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation, and all the necessary support to the families will be provided," he posted on X.

The killings triggered protests and a shutdown in the area, with demands for a high-level investigation. The Union home secretary, Govind Mohan, is currently in Jammu to assess the security situation. Officials have confirmed that a security review meeting is being conducted in response to the incident.

“Center is concerned about the presence of terrorists in the higher reaches of the Jammu division, including Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch. A strategy is likely to be worked out to neutralize these terrorists. The exact number of these terrorists is still not known, but they reportedly move around in groups of three to four at a time,” sources said

Mohan is scheduled to chair an important security review meeting with chiefs of police, paramilitary forces, central forces and officials of intelligence agencies in Jammu. Pertinently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the J&K security thrice in February.