The body of an Army soldier, who had gone missing three days back, was found in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday.
Police said they are investigating militancy-related angle as well murder aspect in the death of soldier Sameer Ahmad Malla, whose role had earlier come under investigation in 2018 for allegedly driving Army officer Major Leetul Gogoi and a local girl to a Srinagar hotel.
"Body of soldier Sameer Ahmad Malla was found today and there was no mark of firearm on it,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said.
'Investigation is going on. We are looking into both aspects, (militant) crime & murder," he added.
On Monday, Malla went missing from his village Lokipora in Khag Budgam. The body of the soldier from Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was recovered from Khag in the same district today, a police official said.
Malla was posted in Jammu and had come home on leave as his wife had given birth to their second child recently.
In April 2018, Major Gogoi was awarded commendation award for his 'sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations’, days after he had tied a villager — Farooq Ahmad Dar — to the bonnet of his jeep and paraded him through villages on election day in 2017
Later, for fraternising with the local woman, Gogoi was given six months loss of seniority by the Army. Malla's role had also appeared in the case.
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Published 10 March 2022, 10:44 IST