Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday ordered a thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of three relatives of a family in Kathua district.
The bodies of Varun Singh (15), his paternal uncle Yogesh Singh (32) and maternal uncle Darshan Singh (40) were found from the Ishu nullah in the remote Malhar area in the higher reaches of the district on Saturday. The trio had gone missing on March 5.
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation, and all the necessary support to the families will be provided,” the LG said.
He said he was shocked and saddened beyond words at the brutal killing of the three.
“I assure the people that the perpetrators will be brought to book at the earliest. Justice will be ensured and accountability will be fixed,” Sinha said.
He offered his condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.
The bodies of Varun Singh (15) of Dehota, his uncle Yogesh Singh (32) and maternal uncle Darshan Singh (40) were sighted in Ishu Nallah in Malhar area by drones during a joint search operation by police and the Army yesterday afternoon.
The bodies were later retrieved from the scene after a hectic effort as the area was steep.
Official sources said preliminary investigation ruled out a terror angle as there were no visible marks of injury on the bodies.
The exact cause of their death would be known only after a postmortem, they said.
The officials said Darshan’s brother Brijesh was getting married and the trio had left in advance for the bride’s home at Lohai Malhar in the Billawar Tehsil at around 5.30 pm on the fateful day.
However, Darshan made the last call to his home around 8.30 pm, informing them that they had lost their way.
As they failed to return home, a search operation by police and the Army was launched to trace them as the area witnessed several terror incidents, including an attack on an Army vehicle that left five soldiers dead, last year.