Shagun Parihar Slams Police Over Kishtwar SPOs’ Bodies

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Shagun Parihar has criticised senior Police officials over the transportation of two Special Police Officers (SPOs) killed in Kishtwar district, alleging that their bodies were brought to their native village without coffins in a dumper truck.

Parihar described the alleged handling of the bodies as an insult to the officers, who were killed while serving in Jammu and Kashmir. Her remarks came during the last rites of Rashpal Singh and Bobby Chand in Keyar village in the Dachhan area on Friday.

The Kishtwar MLA attended the funeral alongside Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma. Both leaders paid tribute to the deceased officers by laying wreaths.

A video circulating on social media showed Parihar breaking down emotionally while questioning senior police officials over the manner in which the bodies had been transported. Her reaction brought attention to the circumstances surrounding the officers’ final journey to their village and the arrangements made for their funerals.

Shagun Parihar Questions Police Over Treatment of Fallen Officers

Parihar’s criticism focused on the alleged decision to transport the bodies in a dumper truck without coffins. She argued that officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty deserved to be treated with dignity and respect.

The MLA’s emotional response reflected the anger and grief surrounding the deaths of the two SPOs. Their killing had raised security concerns in the region, while the allegations about the transportation of their bodies triggered a separate controversy over the treatment of personnel who die during service.

Parihar and Sunil Sharma attended the funeral in Keyar village, where family members, residents and others gathered to pay their final respects. The officers were laid to rest on Friday.

The allegations against the police administration concern the arrangements for transporting the bodies. The available information does not establish whether an official explanation was issued for the reported use of a dumper truck or the absence of coffins.

Two SPOs Went Missing After Gunfire in Kishtwar Forest

Rashpal Singh and Bobby Chand went missing on Wednesday afternoon after gunfire was reported in the Deharna forest area of Marwah in Kishtwar district.

The disappearance prompted a search operation by security personnel. Search teams located the two officers’ bodies in the Dachhan forest on Thursday morning, approximately two kilometres from the place where they had gone missing, according to sources.

The discovery confirmed that both officers had been killed. Their deaths raised concerns about the security situation in the forest areas of Kishtwar, where security forces have continued operations against suspected militants.

The circumstances in which the officers were attacked were still being examined after their bodies were recovered. Investigators were also looking into the sequence of events between the reported gunfire on Wednesday and the discovery of the bodies the following morning.

Officers Were Shot Multiple Times, Service Weapons Missing

Sources said both SPOs had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Their service weapons were also missing when their bodies were recovered, adding to the concerns surrounding the attack.

Preliminary information indicated that the officers were associated with the Special Operations Group (SOG), a specialised police unit involved in counterterrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

They were reportedly travelling to relieve an Army team stationed at Basnan when the incident occurred. The exact circumstances of their movement and the attack were being examined as part of the investigation.

The missing service weapons are another important aspect of the case. Investigators are expected to examine whether the weapons were taken by those responsible for the killings and whether they could provide clues about the attackers.

Security Forces Launch Search for Those Responsible

Following the recovery of the bodies, security forces launched an operation to identify and locate those responsible for the killings.

Authorities were investigating a possible terror link, although the available information did not establish the identity of the attackers or confirm responsibility for the incident.

The search operation was aimed at gathering evidence, tracking potential suspects and determining whether militants were involved. The recovery of the officers’ missing weapons could also form an important part of the investigation.

The attack has renewed attention on security challenges in the forested areas of Kishtwar. Such terrain can make search operations difficult because of its geography, limited visibility and the possibility of militants using remote locations to avoid detection.

Security agencies will need to establish the precise circumstances of the killings before drawing conclusions about the attackers, their motives or any wider network involved.

Deaths Raise Concerns Over Security in Kishtwar

The killings of Singh and Chand have added to concerns about the safety of police personnel operating in Jammu and Kashmir’s sensitive areas. SPOs often assist regular police and specialised security units in local intelligence gathering, operational support and counterterrorism activities.

Their familiarity with local terrain and communities can make them important members of security operations, particularly in remote and forested districts. However, their responsibilities can also expose them to risks during deployments and movement through vulnerable areas.

The reported attack in Kishtwar has therefore raised questions about the circumstances in which the two officers were travelling and the security arrangements in place at the time.

While the investigation into their deaths continues, Parihar’s allegations have brought another issue into focus: the importance of ensuring that personnel killed in service receive dignified treatment during the transportation of their bodies and their final rites.

Investigation and Questions Over Funeral Arrangements

The immediate priority for security agencies remains identifying those responsible for the killings and determining what happened in the Deharna and Dachhan forest areas.

Investigators are also expected to examine the missing service weapons and other evidence that could help reconstruct the attack. Authorities were considering a possible terror angle, but no confirmed attribution had been established in the information available.

Separately, the allegations made by Parihar have raised questions about the arrangements for bringing the officers’ bodies to their native village. An official account of the transportation arrangements would help clarify the circumstances behind her criticism.

For the families and residents of Keyar village, Friday’s funeral marked the final farewell to two officers whose deaths have left the community grieving. The controversy over the handling of their bodies has added to the anger surrounding an incident that has already prompted a security investigation.