In response to the unexplained deaths of 16 individuals in Jammu’s Rajouri district over the past six weeks, the Union Home Ministry has set up a high-level inter-ministerial team to investigate the incidents. The team, which consists of experts from various ministries and institutions, is scheduled to visit the affected village on January 19 to determine the causes of the fatalities and recommend preventive measures.
The deaths, which began in December 2024, were first reported in Budhal village, where several members of a family, including children and their father, exhibited symptoms such as fever, vomiting, dehydration, sweating, and episodic loss of consciousness. They later died under mysterious circumstances. Subsequently, another family in the same village experienced similar fatalities.
After a 40-day pause, the tragedy resurfaced when six members of the deceased father’s sister's family fell ill and died after consuming food at a gathering to mark the 40th day since his death. Despite investigations by teams from the Pune Institute of Virology, DRDO, and Jammu Medical College, no definitive cause has been found so far.
To supplement the investigation, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Led by Superintendent of Police Wajahat Hussain, the SIT includes experts in forensic microbiology, pathology, and paediatrics, along with specialists from the Food Safety Department, Agriculture, Jal Shakti, and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Jammu.
According to an official letter outlining the SIT’s objectives, the team will work to resolve the inquest proceedings as quickly as possible, sharing updates with higher authorities.
Experts will test water, food, and environmental samples and explore other potential causes of the deaths, including toxicological and environmental factors.
Both the inter-ministerial team and the SIT are working closely to uncover the causes behind the deaths, provide relief to the affected families and implement long-term solutions to prevent such tragedies in the future.
