Kargil police solve 26 year old quadruple murder case

Kargil, Nov 12: District Police Kargil in Ladakh has solved a 26 years old quadruple murder case.

Addressing media persons in Kargil, Senior Superintendent of Police Kargil Shree Raam R said that a team headed by Additional SP Kargil Mujeeb Ahmed and SHO Panikhar Manzoor Ahmed solved the case although the case was challenging due to various factors.

SSP Kargil said that on August 17, 1998, four persons Mohammad Ali, Haji Anayat Ali from Kargil, Shero Ali from Kathua, and Nazir Ahmad had set off for Wardwan to purchase livestock, but they never returned. Suspicion fell on three men, Mohammad Rafeeq and Mohammad Fareed from Hira Nagar, Kathua, and Abdul Aziz from Niyani, Samba who happened to have met the victims a day before. SSP said that after a gap of eight months after the crime the relative of one of the victims filed a formal complaint on April 17, 1999, subsequently an investigation began under FIR No. 37/1999, charging the suspects with abduction under Section 364 of RPC was registered.

“The initial investigation hit a dead end when the suspects, arrested in Khati Talab, Jammu, in April 1999, were released on bail due to insufficient evidence. Despite years of effort, the case was declared ‘untraced’ and closed in 2007. However, skeletal remains were discovered near Kanital Glacier in 2011, later identified through DNA belonging to Nazir Ahmad and Shero Ali. This critical evidence re-opened the case and in 2012, charges were upgraded to murder and robbery, adding Sections 302 and 382 RPC,” SSP said.

However, following the case the police team under the leadership of ASP Kargil Mujeeb Ahmed along with SHO Manzoor Hussain at Panikhar Police Station, Kargil, and under close supervision by SSP Kargil, through mobile tracking and coordination with local sources, the Kargil police located the suspects in Hira Nagar, Kathua on October 30, 2024. They were finally taken into custody and taken on a seven-day police remand. The suspects’ interrogation brought chilling details to light. Confessions of the accused led the investigation team to the remote crime scene, retracing the suspects’ steps over four days to recover vital evidence. A team of about 25 officials Under the watchful presence of an executive magistrate and medical team, visited the remote crime spot amid risk and recovered vital evidences from the scene.

SSP Kargil Shree Raam appreciated the efforts of the investigation team led by ASP Kargil and SHO Manzoor Hussain for their efforts and professionalism to solve the case.