‘The boy was a martyr’: Two cops suspended after tribal youth’s killing in Jammu, says police

Jammu: Two policemen have been suspended and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed following the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Mohammad Parvaz, a tribal youth from the Gujjar-Bakerwal community, in Jammu on Thursday evening.

The incident triggered widespread protests and condemnation from political leaders across the region.

According to NDTV, Parvaz was shot by police personnel in plain-clothes in the Satwari area near Jammu while he was out buying medicine with a relative. His family initially mistook the group for cow vigilantes and attempted to flee.

Police initially claimed they were fired upon by suspected drug peddlers and that an “unknown person” was caught in the crossfire. However, it was later confirmed that Parvaz had died of gunshot injuries, prompting protests by his relatives at the hospital.

The police later blamed local media for wrongly linking Parvaz to drug peddling. NDTV quoted South Jammu City SP Ajay Sharma as saying, “The boy was a martyr,” confirming the suspension of two officers involved in the firing and the formation of an SIT.

Political leaders condemned the incident. JK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the killing “highly unfortunate” and demanded a transparent, time-bound investigation. Mehbooba Mufti, a former CM, criticised the police for branding Parvaz a drug peddler and said justice should come through the rule of law, not mob-style judgments.

Family members said Parvaz had recently married, had no criminal history, and was never involved in drug peddling. His last rites were held on Friday evening after talks between community elders and senior police officials.