Al Jazeera Investigation Exposes Alleged Foul Play Behind Deaths in IIOJK

A new Al Jazeera investigation casts a dark shadow over the Indian authorities’ narrative of “suicides” and “accidents,” raising serious questions about the mysterious deaths and disappearances plaguing the Gujjar community in IIOJK.

An investigative report by Al Jazeera has cast serious doubts on the Indian government’s account of a series of unexplained deaths and disappearances in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), particularly involving members of the Gujjar tribal community. The report sheds light on the suspicious deaths of two brothers, Riyaz and Showkat Ahmad, from Kulgam district, who were found dead in a canal in March 2025, following their mysterious disappearance a month earlier.

The authorities initially claimed the deaths were accidental drownings or suicides, but physical trauma and the community’s deep-rooted mistrust in the state raise suspicions of foul play. Al Jazeera’s investigation underscores how decades of state violence, including forced disappearances and custodial killings, have fostered a climate of fear and disbelief, particularly among the Gujjar people.

The case of Riyaz and Showkat is not an isolated one. Another young man, Mukhtar Ahmad Awan, who disappeared with them, is still missing. The report highlights similar cases in surrounding areas, including Kathua, where multiple youths have disappeared under similar circumstances. The troubling pattern of deaths and disappearances has prompted the community to question the role of security forces and their involvement in these events.

The death of Riyaz and Showkat has sparked protests within the local Gujjar community, with families and activists demanding an independent inquiry. Sadiq, the father of the two brothers, refuses to accept the official explanation and believes his sons were tortured and killed. The community’s mistrust of the government is not unfounded, given the history of violence against the Gujjars, including staged killings by the Indian army in 2020 and the custodial deaths of three others in 2023.

Al Jazeera’s report highlights how the government’s response to such incidents has only fueled tensions and fears within the Gujjar community. The family of Riyaz and Showkat organized a protest demanding justice, and the brutal response from security forces, including the viral video of a police officer kicking a protester, has added to the growing frustration and anger.

The Gujjar community, which forms a significant portion of the population in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has long been subjected to violence and repression. The disturbing history of enforced disappearances, particularly since the beginning of the insurgency in the late 1980s, has left many families with unanswered questions. According to the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), between 8,000 and 10,000 Kashmiris have disappeared since the conflict began.

The growing number of mysterious deaths has added to the fear and despair that the Gujjar people already face. The Al Jazeera report reveals that in December 2024 alone, 17 members of the Gujjar community died under strange circumstances, with signs of poisoning. Despite investigations, the source of the toxins remains unknown, leaving the community in further distress.

In another chilling incident, a 25-year-old Gujjar man, Makhan Din, recorded a video before taking his own life, blaming the security forces for his suffering and alleged torture. The authorities dismissed his claims, but his death has only fueled the community’s belief that they are being systematically targeted and silenced.

The Gujjar community’s experience reflects the broader sense of fear and isolation felt by many Kashmiris living under Indian occupation. With voices of dissent silenced and their suffering ignored, the community remains trapped in a cycle of violence and fear, desperately seeking justice for their loved ones.