The inter-ministerial team, formed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has begun its investigation into the mysterious deaths of 17 civilians in Budhal village, Rajouri.
A senior health official in Rajouri told THE WEEK that the team collected samples of various substances for testing to ascertain the cause of the deaths.
Accompanied by senior officers from multiple departments, the team reached Budhal around 11:30 am and visited the bereaved families.
An official said the additional district commissioner of Rajouri has sealed a well in the village after water from it tested positive for traces of pesticides.
In the meantime, the village is being supplied with drinking water through tankers.
The inter-ministerial team includes experts from some of the country’s top institutions. The team was constituted following Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention to uncover the root cause of the deaths.
The fatalities, 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 before succumbing. Later, another family in the same village experienced similar tragedies.
After a 40-day pause, the deaths resurfaced when six members of the deceased father’s sister’s family fell ill and passed away after consuming food at a gathering marking 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 identified. J&K Health Minister Sakina Itoo has ruled out infection as the cause of the deaths.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have set up an 11-member Special Investigation Team to probe other possible reasons behind the fatalities.
