Jammu: A Jammu and Kashmir Police constable has been formally arrested in connection with the killing of a Gujjar youth in a July firing incident near Jammu, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the development, calling it a “crucial step toward justice” and emphasizing that “no one, not even those in uniform, is above the law.”
The victim, 21-year-old Mohammad Parvez from Niki Tawi, was shot near Sure Chak village on the outskirts of Jammu city on July 24. The incident triggered widespread protests from the Gujjar community, who rejected the police claim that Parvez was a drug peddler, asserting instead that he was killed in a “fake encounter.”
In response, police set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a magisterial inquiry was ordered. Political leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, visited the bereaved family, demanding a transparent and time-bound investigation.
Following the SIT probe, selection-grade constable Pawan Singh was formally arrested and charged under Section 105 of the BNS (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), officials said, without providing further details. Singh, along with head constable Baljinder Singh, had been suspended immediately after the incident pending investigation.
“The arrest of Pawan Singh in connection with Parvez’s tragic death is a crucial step toward justice. It underscores that accountability within the police force is not optional,” Mufti said in a post on X. She described Parvez as innocent, noting that while his loss is irreplaceable, the arrest offers a measure of hope that justice will be served.
Mufti also praised SSP Jammu Joginder Singh and IGP Jammu for overseeing a fair and transparent investigation. “This step helps restore faith in the system. We hope the judicial process now takes its course, and that Parvez, silenced in life, finds justice at last,” she added.
