Probe Initiated into Alleged Custodial Deaths of Gujjar Men in Jammu Amidst Army Scrutiny and Political Ramifications

According to sources on Sunday, the defence ministry has instructed army headquarters to ensure a time-bound and "impartial" investigation to enable "speedy justice" for the three Muslim Gujjar men who are suspected of dying in custody last week in Jammu's Poonch district.

An official from the defense ministry told The Telegraph, "The discipline and vigilance branch at army headquarters has been asked by the defense ministry to ensure there is no undue delay in the completion of the probe and the fixing of accountability."

"The ministry emphasized that the incident was the subject of intense media scrutiny and had cast doubt on the army's reputation; the investigation must be unbiased and finished in four weeks to ensure prompt justice."

Following a militant ambush that claimed the lives of four soldiers and injured three more, the army is accused of torturing eight men from a Poonch village, three of whom perished.

The Center appears to have political motivations for its quick action, which included the removal of three officers, including the commander of the relevant Rashtriya Rifles brigade. The Gujjars, who comprise about 8% of the population in Jammu and Kashmir, are thought to be essential to the BJP's chances of winning elections in the Union Territory.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the grieving families in Jammu on Wednesday, amid a flurry of protests against the alleged custody killings, and pledged to bring about justice.

Additionally, he met with soldiers and counseled them to uphold "professional" standards. He also reminded them of their responsibility to win over the nation's citizens' hearts in addition to defending it.

Raised in 1990, the army's elite counter-insurgency force in Kashmir is the Rashtriya Rifles, which is located in the storm's eye. The army provides its personnel through deputation.

The three officers' roles are being scrutinized. According to an official at army headquarters, "a thorough investigation is underway to determine their involvement in the suspected torture that resulted in the deaths of three civilians."

He said that the investigation would determine whether the three were present at the location and whether they gave the order for the alleged torture.

Key witnesses' statements have been documented, and higher-ups are closely monitoring the investigation's development. The official continued, "All civilian witnesses have been requested to provide a deposition before the court of inquiry.

The claimed custody killings, according to security establishment sources, may "alienate" the Gujjar tribe, which would be detrimental to the army's intelligence-gathering process.

"The people living along the Line of Control with Pakistan have long served as army informants. For a very long time, they have served as the army's eyes and ears, according to a security official with the Union home ministry.

"The Center has therefore overreached in an attempt to appease the locals."

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