The alleged killing of a tribal youth by Jammu and Kashmir police escalated into a political storm on Sunday after Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary accused the force’s special branch of “roaming the streets in civilian clothes with weapons” and shooting civilians. He further alleged that “the biggest drug racket is run by the police.”
Tensions have been rising since Thursday night, when 21-year-old Mohammad Parvaiz, a Gujjar youth from Jammu, was reportedly killed in what the police initially described as an anti-drug operation. Authorities later ordered an investigation and suspended two officers amid allegations of a fake encounter.
“The world knows Jammu and Kashmir police is not under the Omar Abdullah government. It is under LG sahab,” Choudhary said after meeting Parvaiz’s family. “I want to tell LG sahab that Jammu and Kashmir is not a territory of fake encounters. We used to hear of real encounters—our brave policemen carried those out—but what is happening now?”
He questioned, “Who has given this police power to roam in civil dress, kill civilians, and shoot young boys? Omar Abdullah’s government will not tolerate this.”
Choudhary also accused police of fabricating drug charges. “If you don’t like somebody’s face, you put two packets in his pocket and say he is a drug peddler,” he said.
