Rajouri-Budhal road remained closed for 6 hours.People hold protest after minor’s suspecious death.

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL 

SHYAM SOOD

A minor student died of drowning in a big pothole caused due to illegal mining.
Illegal mining have turned Ans riverbed at Kotranka into a big potholes ground.

RAJOURI, JUNE 28:–Tension ran high at Kotranka (Bakori) in Rajouri district on Friday morning following the death of a 15-years-old student in suspicious circumstances after drowning.
Family members, relatives of the boy along with other people protested in the main chowk near the police station and later blocked Rajouri-Kotranka-Budhal road for about 6 hours demanding investigation in murder case against the minor friends of the deceased who were accompanying him at the time of incident.
As the boy died due to drowning, the police were of the view that the incident will initially be investigated under section 174 CrPC (inquest) to find out the facts for further action.
Protesters also expressed their resentment against the concerned department for allowing illegal mining in a beautiful Ans river by stone crushers.
“The entire riverbed has been turned into big deep potholes due to illegal mining and the deceased identified as Mohd Rafaqat (15) son of Mohd Riaz resident of Kallan-Kotranka died due to drowning in one such deep pothole,” said a social activist.
After about 6 hours long negotiation between parents/protesters and local administration-including Additional DC Dil Mir Choudhary; Tehsildar, Sayeed Sahil Ali & Dy SP (ops) Shammi Kumar-ADC assured impartial investigation under 174 CrPC under the supervision of Dy SP and conduct of Magisterial inquiry in consultation with Deputy Commissioner, Om Parkash Bhagat.
“At about 7 pm protesters lifted the protest on ADC’s assurance, opened the road and police took the body to CHC Kotranka for medico-legal formalities,” said Tehsildar.
As Kotranka education zone falls under winter zone, Mohd Rafaqat along with his four friends (all juveniles, names withheld) left the school (private institution) and instead of going to homes, they went to Ans river for bathing due to hot waves.
According to the deceased’s friends (presently in police custody) after jumping into a big pothole to take bath when Mohd Rafaqat didn’t come out for some time, we all left the place without intimation to anybody fearing trouble.
“As Rafaqat didn’t turn up at home after school closed, a search was started and when not traced a missing report was lodged with police,” said a relative.
Police, family members, villagers continued searching for Rafaqat for the whole night but without any success.
In the early morning hours relatives/family members checked CCTV footage installed in the school location and it was observed that all the friends were heading towards Ans river.
Police rounded up the deceased’s friends and they disclosed the whole incident to police and said: “We were so scared when Rafaqat didn’t come out of the water and we left for our homes without informing anybody about the incident”.