Video shot before death of civilian in J&K indicates police ‘torture’

The J&K police and a magistrate have already started two separate inquiries into the case

A video shot by the civilian from Jammu’s Kathua, who allegedly died by suicide a day ago after alleged repeated police ‘torture’, on Friday (February 7, 2025) went viral in J&K and evoked sharp reactions from political parties. Meanwhile, the family of a civilian from Kashmir’s Baramulla, who died in the alleged Army firing, demand “action against those responsible for his death”.  

Narrating in detail about ‘torture’ suffered by him during questioning of the J&K Police, Makhan Din, 26, purportedly filmed a 3.48-minute video inside a mosque in Kathua’s Billawar area. With a copy of the Quran on his head, Din said he had to cook up a story to save his life and now feared returning to the police station and getting beaten up.  

“I was beaten up. I told them the truth that I had never seen the militants or Swaru [his uncle who exfiltrated to Pakistan]. I was allowed to go in the morning to bring my mobile phone to the police station. I lied to the policemen that I have Swaru’s number and many more numbers. If I go to the police with my mobile phone and tell them I don’t have these numbers, they will beat me again,” Din said in the video.

According to the officials, Swar Din alias Swaru Gujar is suspected to be behind an attack on the Army convoy in July 2024 that left four soldiers dead.

In the video, Din is seen pulling out a packet of some kind of medicine or insecticide apparently to end his life. “I am ending my life so that no one has to endure the torture and humiliation of the police the way I did,” he added in the video that was widely shared online by netizens in J&K.

The J&K police and a magistrate have already started two separate inquiries into the case. Meanwhile, the video of the victim evoked sharp reactions in J&K. “This young man ended his life after swearing on the Holy Quran that he was tortured by the police, despite never having seen a terrorist. A tragic testimony to the sorry state of affairs,” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Firdous Tak said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Safeer Choudhary said, “Such cowardly acts of violence against innocent civilians are unacceptable. A time-bound judicial inquiry should be held by a sitting judge of the High Court. A compensation of ₹10 lakh to the family and a government job for the victim’s wife. Strict action against the police officials involved, including the immediate registration of an FIR.”

In Kashmir, hundreds of locals converged on the residence of Waseem Ahmad Mir, 27, at Sopore’s Goripora village in Baramulla. Mir allegedly died in the Army’s firing after he sped away from a checkpoint on Wednesday night (February 5, 2025).

“My son left home on Wednesday evening to pick up 900 boxes of apples. He had to add 200 boxes more. He told us he will keep his truck at a petrol pump at Sangrama [Baramulla]. He was the eldest of all my children. We want justice and action against those responsible of the killing,” the victim’s father Abdul Majeed Mir, a mason by profession, said.

Mir had recently married off her sister. “He was the main earning hand. He married off his sister and was working hard to repay loans raised by the family for the marriage,” the victim’s relative said.

According to the Government Medical College, Baramulla, the victim bore one bullet mark in the upper body and was brought dead to the hospital. 

Meanwhile, All J&K Transport Federation vice chairman Irshad Ahmad condemned the killing. “We fear such an incident could happen to other colleagues too. The truth has to come to the fore,” Mr. Ahmad said.

Hurriyat chairman and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a statement, expressed concern over the civilian killings. “The unfortunate saga of extra judicial killings and rights violations of people of J&K continues as the perpetrators are never brought to book. This cycle will continue until accountability is established and justice delivered,” Mr. Farooq said.

He said it is the responsibility of the authorities, including the elected representatives, to ensure that these crimes do not take place.