KISHTWAR — Security forces launched an expansive manhunt across the rugged Dachhan-Marwah belt of Kishtwar district on Wednesday after two Special Police Officers vanished during an operational patrol with the Indian Army.
Rashpal Kumar, 40, and Babi Chand, 54, disappeared while marching toward the remote Dherna post. Initial inquiries confirmed that daytime gunshots rattled the mountainous corridor shortly before contact with the two officers ceased entirely.
Both men carried active mobile phones that rang intermittently through the early hours of the disappearance. Then the signals cut out.
The silence triggered an immediate cordon. Joint teams comprising the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Army units mobilized deep into the higher reaches, combing through steep ridgelines and forested ravines to establish their location. Officials have not yet determined whether the gunfire signaled a direct hostile encounter or an isolated security breach.
Patrolling detachments in Kishtwar frequently navigate extreme terrain, bridging isolated operational pickets between Dachhan and Marwah. The vanished officers were part of a coordinated movement tracking toward the elevated Dherna post when communication lines collapsed.
| Personnel & Search Parameter | Field Detail |
|---|---|
| Missing Officers | SPO Rashpal Kumar (40), SPO Babi Chand (54) |
| Last Known Position | Dachhan-Marwah corridor, en route to Dherna post |
| Joint Search Formations | Jammu and Kashmir Police & Indian Army columns |
| Incident Indicators | Unscheduled daytime gunfire; mobile devices switched off |
| Operational Status | Active cordon and mountain search underway |
Security formations stationed across the Chenab Valley remain on high alert as ground teams sweep the ridgeline.
The sudden disappearance comes weeks after another fatal episode shook the district police establishment. On October 16, authorities recovered the body of 55-year-old SPO Bashir Ahmed near his residence in Wanipora Trigam.
Ahmed had gone missing while returning home from duty at the Pedil Police Post, carrying his service-issued Self-Loading Rifle and ammunition magazine. While initial fears pointed to militant interception, an exhaustive police homicide probe subsequently unraveled a domestic conspiracy, establishing that relatives murdered Ahmed over an unresolved ancestral land dispute.
Joint search columns continue to press through forested tracks surrounding Dachhan-Marwah as district authorities await formal situation reports from forward operational commanders.