The death toll in Rajouri’s Badhal village has reached 17 after 15-year-old Yasmeen Akther, the last surviving child of Muhammad Aslam’s family, succumbed to a mysterious illness at SMGS Hospital Jammu.
The tragic deaths, which began on December 7 after a family fell ill following a social gathering, have left the region in shock and searching for answers.
In a significant development, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Kotranka has ordered the sealing of a spring in Badhal village after water samples tested positive for pesticides or insecticides.
The spring, a primary water source for the affected village, is now suspected to be linked to the fatalities.
The discovery raises critical questions: Has the long-standing mystery finally been resolved? Could contaminated water have been the silent killer all along?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has constituted an inter-ministerial team, comprising experts from health, agriculture, animal husbandry, and forensic sciences, to investigate the cause of the deaths.
Jammu Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha confirmed the team’s arrival and its collaboration with local authorities to prevent further tragedies.
The team, working with the police and health departments, aims to provide immediate relief to affected families while addressing the root cause of the outbreak.
Despite the latest findings, the exact source and mechanism of contamination remain under scrutiny.
The sealing of the spring may offer a critical lead, but many in the village are left wondering why such a tragedy unfolded over six weeks before action was taken.
As authorities continue their investigation, the pressing question remains: Is this the end of the Rajouri mystery, or just another clue in a broader, unresolved puzzle?