Medical report confirms Zainapora woman died of heart attack, rules out involvement of 'in-laws'

October 7, 2025 by News Desk

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Meer Irfan

The mystery surrounding the death of a 27-year-old woman from the Takibal Reban area of Zainapora in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, which had sparked tension and allegations of foul play in August, has now been clarified after the medical report confirmed that she died of a heart attack.

The deceased, identified as Urfi Jan, wife of Showkat Ahmad Lone, was brought to Yaripora Hospital in an unconscious condition on the night of August 21. Doctors declared her brought dead, prompting the police to initiate legal proceedings under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to ascertain the cause of death.

At the time, The Kashmiriyat reported that the family of the deceased alleged she had been murdered by her in-laws, demanding a fair and transparent probe. “She was brought dead and rather dumped off by her in-laws at the hospital. I reached there at 2:30 in the night, and there was nobody with the body,” her brother had told The Kashmiriyat.

A hospital official from Yaripora, Kulgam, had also confirmed that the woman was brought dead, with her husband in an unconscious state. “We tried CPR for about 40 minutes, performed other procedures, but there were no signs of life. She was declared brought dead,” the official had said.

Following her death, her body was sent to District Hospital Shopian for medico-legal formalities, including a post-mortem. Police detained the husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law of the deceased for questioning, pending the report, however, officials have now confirmed that the post-mortem ruled out any external injury or poisoning, concluding that the cause of death was a heart attack.

A senior police officer told The Kashmiriyat that the department had handled the case with full transparency.

“It is counterproductive to jump to conclusions in such sensitive cases. Verification and factual reporting are essential to avoid unnecessary confusion,” the officer said, adding that journalists and citizens alike must exercise restraint while discussing ongoing investigations.

He emphasized that every death reported under suspicious circumstances must pass through a detailed medico-legal process before any conclusions are drawn. “In the age of social media, unverified claims spread rapidly and can cause lasting damage, not only to individuals and families but also to the integrity of investigations,” he noted.

The officer urged media outlets to verify details directly with official sources before publication and to report developments responsibly, especially when public sentiment is involved. “Our job is to establish facts. The media’s role is equally vital, to inform people with accuracy, not amplify speculation,” he said.

With the medical report confirming a natural cause of death, police have urged both the media and the public to avoid speculation and rely on verified information. The incident, which initially stirred public concern in the area, has now been closed as a case of natural death.