Banihal, Apr 13: The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was restored on Monday afternoon after remaining blocked for nearly four hours following protests at Makarkoot in Ramban district.

The blockade was lifted after the intervention of Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, and Senior Superintendent of Police Ramban, Arun Gupta, who reached the spot and pacified the protesters.

Traffic officials said vehicular movement, which had come to a standstill on both sides of the highway due to the protest, has now resumed smoothly.

The district administration assured the protesters that action has been taken in connection with the incident, and four persons have been arrested. Authorities also assured a transparent investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, rescue operations are underway to trace the missing youth, Tanveer Ahmed Chopan, who has been missing since Sunday afternoon. He as per locals allegedly jumped into Nallah Bishlari after being chased and beaten by some miscreants .

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been pressed into service to assist in the search operation.

Following assurances from the district authorities, the protesters dispersed peacefully from the highway and allowed traffic to resume.

Meanwhile, former NSUI president and senior Congress leader, Advocate Feroz Khan, a resident of Pogal, also reached Makarkoot and interacted with the victim’s family and district authorities.

He termed the incident unfortunate and unacceptable, demanding strict action against those involved.

Khan said such incidents should not be allowed to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of Ramban district, which has long been an example of communal harmony and Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.

He urged people to remain calm, peacefull and uphold unity, adding that no one should be allowed to disrupt the the social fabric in Ramban district.

In the meantime, GN Azad led DPAP senior leader and Political commentator Salman Nizami has strongly condemned the alleged incident in Makarkoot area of Ramban district.

In a post on X, Nizami termed the incident “shocking” and said the victim was allegedly forced to jump into a stream while trying to escape from alleged cow vigilants, leading to his disappearance.

He said he spoke to DIG Ramban-Doda-Kishtwar Range, Shargun Shukla, who assured him that strict action would be taken against those involved. Nizami demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
Appealing for calm, he urged people to maintain peace and allow the police to carry out their investigation.

Banihal, Apr 13: A protest and sit-in on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) continued for over four hours on Monday at Makarkoot in the Ramsoo sub-division of Ramban district, disrupting traffic movement on both sides.

The highway was blocked by protectors at arround 10 am in the Monday morning. A large number of men and women, including relatives of the missing youth from Ramsoo, Makarkoot, and Pogal Paristan, are participating in the protest.

Officials said vehicular movement remained completely halted at Makarkoot and several other points along NH-44 in Ramban district due to the ongoing agitation.

Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, and SSP Ramban, Arun Gupta, rushed to the spot and are engaging with protesters in an attempt to restore normalcy. A heavy deployment of police has been made in the area to maintain law and order.

The protest erupted following the disappearance of Tanveer Ahmed Chopan, who allegedly jumped into Nallah Bishlari on Sunday afternoon while trying to escape from suspected miscreants chasing him in two vehicles.

Rescue operations are underway, with teams from the NDRF assisting local police and volunteers of the Himalayan QRT Ramsoo in the search efforts.

Meanwhile, police have arrested four persons allegedly involved in the incident, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the case.

Banihal, Apr 13: Tension persisted in the Ramsoo area of Ramban district on Monday after a 25-year-old youth, Tanveer Ahmad Chopan of Pogal, went missing on Sunday evening after allegedly jumping into Nallah Bishlari while trying to escape from suspected miscreants.

The incident triggered widespread outrage, with locals staging a protest on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) near the BDO office at Makerkoot. Men and women joined the sit-in from Monday morning, blocking traffic for over an hour and causing significant disruption along the busy highway.

Police have registered a case FIR No. 26/2026 at Ramsoo Police Station and arrested four persons in connection with the incident. The accused have been identified as Surjeet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Digvijay Singh, and Keval Singh—two residents of Seri Ramban and two from Ramban town. Officials said the accused are currently lodged at Banihal Police Station.

According to locals, Chopan was travelling from Jammu to his home in Mundkhal, Pogal, when he was allegedly chased and assaulted near Makerkoot by a group suspected to be cow vigilantes. In an attempt to escape, he reportedly jumped into the Nallah Bishlari near Makarkoot tunnel number 5 and has remained untraceable since.

Protesters demanded the arrest of all those allegedly involved in the vigilante group and called for the immediate resumption of the rescue operation in Nallah Bishlari, which they claimed had been halted since 9 PM on Sunday due to darkness. They also raised concerns over transparency, alleging that the arrested persons were not kept at Ramsoo Police Station and that a copy of the FIR had not been provided to the public.

To investigate the incident, SSP Ramban Arun Gupta have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by SDPO Banihal Surinder Singh Biloria. Senior officials, including Additional SP Ramban Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and SDM Ramsoo, visited the protest site and urged demonstrators to call off the agitation and restore traffic movement.

Speaking from the spot, SIT head Surinder Singh Biloria told Greater Kashmir that investigations into all aspects of the case have been initiated. “Public allegations will be addressed and investigated, and the circumstances under which the  young man jumped into the stream will be thoroughly examined,” he said, appealing to people to cooperate with the police and avoid blocking the highway.

He further confirmed that a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached Makerkoot to assist in the rescue operation, which was suspended on Sunday night due to darkness but has since been resumed.

Meanwhile, authorities have slowed down internet services across Ramban district to curb the spread of rumours and maintain law and order.

Earlier, president Traders federation Banihal Engineer Shadab Ahmad Wani had called for a shutdown in Banihal on Monday in protest against the incident. However, the strike call was withdrawn late Sunday night following assurances from the administration regarding a fair and transparent investigation.