Suspected Lashkar member who confessed to helping terrorists jumps in river, dies | Video surfaces

Imtiyaz Ahmed, a 23-year-old from Kulgam, died after allegedly jumping into a stream while in police custody. While police call it an escape attempt, his family alleges custodial killing and demands a judicial probe. 

Image Credit: X

A 23-year-old man from Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir died after allegedly jumping into a fast-flowing stream while in police custody. The man, Imtiyaz Ahmed, was detained for questioning over suspected links to a Lashkar-e-Taiba sleeper cell. While the police say he drowned while trying to escape, his family claims it was a case of custodial death.

Scroll to load tweet…

Police officials said Imtiyaz was taken into custody after his name surfaced during the investigation of a terror encounter on April 23, in which two militants had escaped. According to them, Imtiyaz confessed to knowing the location of a Lashkar hideout. He was then taken by police to that site in Kulgam.

Authorities claim that while guiding police near the Vaishow stream, Imtiyaz suddenly broke free and jumped into the water. Police released drone footage which they say shows him leaping into the stream and being swept away by the strong current.

His body was recovered hours later. However, his family disputes this version. They say Imtiyaz had no terror links and accuse the police of torture and custodial killing. The family has demanded justice and a full investigation.

This case has quickly drawn public anger across Jammu and Kashmir, with several political leaders questioning the police account and seeking accountability.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the incident and said it reflected a worrying trend of arbitrary detentions and targeting of civilians following terror attacks.

"One act of violence should not justify a cycle of unchecked power, arrests, and victimisation of innocents," she said, referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack where 26 tourists were killed by a Lashkar-linked group on April 22.

J&K Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo, who visited Imtiyaz’s home, also called for a judicial probe. “There’s nothing in the police records against him. The truth must come out,” she said.

This is not the first such incident. Earlier, the bodies of three missing Gujjar youths were found in the same Vaishow stream. That case is still being investigated.

As outrage grows, activists and families are calling for transparent judicial scrutiny and stricter checks on law enforcement conduct during counter-terror operations in the region.