Three men were detained by Kishtwar police after the body of Special Police Officer Bashir Ahmad was found with head injuries in the Trigam forest area following his disappearance on Thursday.
Ahmad, posted at the Pedil police post, vanished Thursday morning along with his service rifle. His wife, uneasy, went to the post and was told he had already left for home.
Investigators say the death is not a terror act but appears criminal. They suspect a land dispute may have driven the murder, though no firm conclusions have been drawn yet.
SSP Kishtwar Sunny Gupta and the Special Operations Group immediately launched a search after receiving the missing‑person alert. The body and the rifle were recovered from behind Ahmad’s house and forwarded to the district forensic lab for a post‑mortem.
The post‑mortem will be carried out today, and the case is being sent to the crime branch for further action. Charges are expected against the detained suspects once the investigation completes.