Banihal, Apr 14: A youth from Ramban district who went missing after allegedly jumping into a stream to escape an assault on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway has remained untraced for the third consecutive day, even as rescue operations were intensified with the induction of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
The incident had occurred on Sunday afternoon near four-lane Tunnel No. 5 at Makarkoot in Ramban district. The missing youth was identified as Tanveer Ahmad Chopan, a resident of Mundkhal Pogal.
According to locals, Chopan was travelling from Jammu towards his home with a milch cow and two calves in a vehicle when he was allegedly chased by miscreants in two vehicles near Digdool. The assailants reportedly intercepted him near Makarkoot and assaulted him. In an attempt to save himself, he had jumped into Nallah Bishlari and had been missing since.
On Monday, protests had erupted in the area, with locals blocking the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway for nearly four hours, demanding swift action. The blockade was later lifted after intervention by DC Ramban Mohammad Alyas Khan and SSP Ramban Arun Gupta , who had assured strict action in the case.
Police had already registered a case and arrested four accused persons in connection with the incident. The arrested individuals were identified as Surjeet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Digvijay Singh, and Keval Singh, all residents of Ramban town and nearby Seri areas.
Authorities had also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by SDPO Banihal Surinder Singh to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, search operations to trace the missing youth continued on Tuesday. Teams of the NDRF, police, Himalayan QRT Ramsoo, Banihal Volunteers, and Indian Red Cross Society (Red Cross Banihal) were engaged in the operation.
Speaking to media, SHO Ramsoo Fareed Khan said that multiple rescue teams had been carrying out searches for the third consecutive day, but no breakthrough had been achieved so far.
Meanwhile, Abdul Salam Chopan, father of the missing youth and a serving SPO in Jammu and Kashmir Police, had expressed deep anguish over the incident. He said his son was the only brother to three sisters and demanded strict punishment for the accused, including capital punishment.
In the meantime, normal internet services across Ramban district had been restored on Tuesday afternoon after remaining suspended for nearly 30 hours as a precautionary measure following the incident.
