Diplomat Correspondent
Kulgam,(DD): The body of the third nomad youth, who had been missing for nearly two months, was recovered from the Vaishaw Nallah in the Mah Bhan area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district today, officials said.
The deceased, identified as Mukhtar Ahmad, had gone missing on February 13 along with two others — Riyaz Ahmad Bajad and Showkat Ahmad Bajad, both residents of Rajouri. The bodies of Riyaz and Showkat were recovered from the same water body last month.
According to officials, the body was spotted by local residents who alerted the police. A police team reached the location and retrieved the body, which was later shifted to District Hospital Kulgam for medico-legal formalities.
The trio had reportedly left Qazigund for Ashmuji, Kulgam, to attend a relative’s function but went missing en route. Their mobile phones had remained switched off since their disappearance.
Rescue teams including the NDRF, SDRF, and local police had been conducting an extensive search operation in the area. “The search concluded today with the recovery of the last missing person,” an official said.
The recovery brings a tragic close to a mystery that had gripped the region for weeks.(DD)