Six-Member SIT Established to Investigate Double Murder in Kathua, J&K

JAMMU, Feb 19: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprised of six members and led by a superintendent of police has been established to investigate the recent murders of two men in a remote village in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to officials.
The bodies of Roshan Lal, 45, and Shamsher, 37, were discovered on February 16 along the banks of a stream in Batheri village, Billawar. Autopsy results indicated that both victims had been strangled.
Authorities have not dismissed the possibility of terrorist involvement in the double homicide. A coordinated anti-terrorism operation involving police, military, and paramilitary forces has been ongoing in the nearby forests over the past few days.
However, investigators have yet to make any significant progress, but officials remain hopeful that the formation of the SIT will expedite the investigation.
On February 17, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his sorrow regarding the tragic deaths and mentioned that his office is coordinating with the local MLA. The relevant officials have been instructed to look into the circumstances surrounding these deaths.
Last year, various regions of Kathua, including Billawar, experienced terror-related incidents, including an attack on an army patrol that resulted in the deaths of five soldiers.