TANGMARG: Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray, a 23-year-old resident of Tangmarg village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district—a remote and economically backward area—was found dead in the fast-flowing waters of the Vishaw Nallah on May 4, just a day after he was allegedly taken from his house by Army personnel from the nearby Behibagh camp for questioning.
Nazir Ahmad Magray, father of Imtiyaz, still recalls the early morning of May 3—when everything changed. The Army arrived at their home in Tangmarg and asked, “Where is Imtiyaz?”
His 23-year-old son was in his room. “He’s inside,” Nazir responded, never imagining that it would be the last time he’d see his son alive in their home. The Army then took Imtiyaz away with them.
As the hours passed, Nazir and his family waited for Imtiyaz to return. They thought it was just routine questioning, and he would be back within a few hours.
On the same day, May 3, the family of the victim visited DDC member Manzgam Choudhary Jameela to inform her that their son had been taken by security forces. In response, Jameela contacted the nearby police station and the SDPO’s office, where she was told that he had not been detained by the police.
They Met Him at the Army Camp
Later in the day, the family reached out to her again, informing her that Imtiyaz had been taken to an army camp in Behibagh, where they had a chance to meet with him. "They later spoke to him over the phone and were told he was doing fine," Jameela said.
“When the Army took Imtiyaz that morning, everything stopped for us,” said Nazir, eyes filled with pain. “We didn’t eat anything the whole day. We couldn’t sleep even for a minute that night. We kept waiting for him… praying that he would come back home safely.”
His mother sat silently, “He was my support, my strength,” she whispered. “Now who will take care of me?”
The family recalls the last time they spoke to Imtiyaz.
Nazir Magray was told that Imtiyaz had been taken to the Behibagh army camp. Worried but hopeful, Nazir rushed there. When he saw Imtiyaz, he felt a little relief.
“He was fine. He looked tired, but he was okay,” Nazir says. Imtiyaz didn’t say much, but he seemed calm. That short meeting gave the family a bit of peace. They hoped he would be released soon and return home. But that hope didn’t last long.
“He said he was fine and told us not to worry. We never imagined that the next day, we would see his lifeless body pulled out from the river,” Magray said, holding back tears.
“Imtiyaz was innocent. He had no connection with militants or any wrongdoings,” said his uncle, Manzoor Ahmad Magray, his voice heavy with grief.
“He was a hardworking young man, a labourer who had just returned from Punjab in April after spending the winter there to earn for his family,” he said.
“How can this happen to someone in Army custody?” Manzoor said, as he tries to make sense of the sequence of events.
Imtiyaz was the sole earning hand in his family. Besides his ageing parents, he has two younger brothers, and five sisters—all married. He was to get married next year.
“We want justice. We demand a fair and independent judicial inquiry. We appeal to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and political leaders like Omar Abdullah to intervene and ensure the truth comes out. The family deserves answers,” Manzoor said, holding back tears.
Imtiyaz’s Police Record was Clean
Chowdhary Mohammad Altaf, the Numberdar of Tangmarg village, told Kashmir Times that Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray was taken by the Army early in the morning on May 3 and was kept at the Behibagh Army camp.
“I am the Numberdar here since 2018,” he said, “and in all these years, I have never received a single complaint from either the police or the Army about Imtiyaz. He was known in the village as a quiet and respectful young man.”
After hearing about the detention, Altaf personally verified with the concerned police station. “They told me there was no FIR or case ever registered against Imtiyaz. His record was completely clean,” he stated.
He said that on Sunday, he received several unexpected calls from the police, CID, and Army, informing him that a body had been found in the Vishaw Nallah and it seemed to be of someone from Tangmarg village.
“I told them everything is fine here and no one from our village is missing,” he said. But later, to his disbelief, the body turned out to be that of Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray.
Later, on Sunday at around 6:00 P.M., hundreds of mourners gathered in Tangmarg village to attend the funeral prayers of Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray. Grief hung heavy in the air as neighbours, relatives, and villagers joined his family to bid farewell to the 23-year-old, whose sudden and tragic death has left the entire community in shock.
What Police said?
A senior police officer said that Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray had been with the security forces during a cordon and search operation (CASO) early Sunday morning when he allegedly jumped into the Vishaw Nallah and died.
The officer claimed that Magray had been working as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) and had admitted to having knowledge of a militant hideout believed to be sheltering two foreign terrorists from Pakistan.
The officer added that Magray’s movement during the operation was recorded using drone surveillance. “He was guiding the team to the location in a forest when he suddenly jumped into the river. It seemed like an attempt to escape,” the official said.
The officer also mentioned that Magray had earlier provided information related to another militant hideout in the Tangmarg forest, which was busted by security forces on April 23 following contact with terrorists in the area.
A police source said that drone footage, captured from an elevated position, showed Imtiyaz Magray suddenly running toward the riverbank and jumping in, with no security personnel seen near him at the time.
“He attempted to swim across, but the current was strong and carried him away,” the source stated.
Security forces have firmly rejected any accusations of foul play, calling such claims baseless and misleading. “It’s unfortunate that false narratives are being circulated. The forces should not be unfairly held responsible for this tragic incident,” a senior officer said.
Locals Dispute Police Version
Residents in Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray’s native village Tangmarg have strongly contested the police narrative surrounding his death, casting doubt on the credibility of the drone footage being cited by officials.
A young man from the village, who requested anonymity, said that the person seen in the drone footage is not Imtiyaz. “We have all watched the video closely, and it’s clear to us that the person shown is not him,” he said.
“The clothes worn by the person in the video do not match what Imtiyaz was wearing. It appears to be someone else, possibly from the team involved in the later search operation.”
He further raised a sharp and pressing question: “Where is the footage from the moment they say Imtiyaz flee? Where is the video of him fleeing? If a drone was there during the operation, then why isn’t there a single frame of him fleeing? Why has that part not been shown?”
He and many others in the village alleged that the footage appears manipulated.
He added, "Upon closer inspection, it is clear that the person in the footage is an employee of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The distinct color of the jacket worn by the individual, a bright orange with reflective stripes, is consistent with the uniform SDRF personnel use while conducting rescue operations. This is a fabricated claim, and the video has been misinterpreted to mislead the public."
Locals argue that if the operation was indeed being monitored by drones as claimed, then the entire sequence — especially the moment he allegedly escaped — should be on record.
“This selective footage is suspicious. The part they’re showing seems to have been recorded after ‘he fled’ as claimed by the officials.”
The residents of Tangmarg have called for an independent and transparent investigation.
“So many versions are floating around, but none answer the real questions. We deserve to know what really happened to Imtiyaz,” a villager said.
Speaking to the Kashmir Times, Imtiyaz’s family strongly rejected allegations of Imtiyaz being an Over Ground Worker (OGW), calling such claims baseless and deeply painful.
“We want justice, not labels. He was a simple young man trying to support his family,” said the relative.
Demands for Investigation
On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly condemned the incident in Kulgam, saying, “What happened in Kulgam shouldn’t have happened.”
He urged authorities to act with sensitivity, warning against “collective punishment” which, he averred, would only deepen alienation among the people.
Health and Education Minister and senior NC leader Sakina Itoo has demanded a judicial inquiry in the incident. While visiting Imtiyaz's residence to pay her condolences, she called upon the Home Department to ensure that innocent people are not harassed without reason.
Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti called for probe into allegations of 'foul play'.
“The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam appears to be a calculated attempt to derail the fragile peace, disrupt tourism in Kashmir and undermine communal harmony across the country. If a single act of violence can shake the entire system – triggering arbitrary arrests, home demolitions, and the targeting of innocent civilians – then the perpetrators have already achieved their objective. Allegations of misconduct whether in Bandipora encounter or in this latest incident in Kulgam are deeply troubling and warrant a thorough impartial investigation,” she wrote on X.
Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Srinagar and senior leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi also voiced serious concern over the incident. In a press statement issued on May 4, he said that the recovery of Magray’s body and recent incidents raise “serious questions about the pattern of abuse.” He strongly condemned what he called arbitrary detentions and custodial killings.
“Kashmiris cannot be treated as collateral damage in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack,” he said.
“Counterterrorism is increasingly getting reflected as collective punishment.” He added that the family’s demand for “a swift, independent investigation into Imtiyaz's death, and full accountability for all involved must be upheld.”
Peoples Conference chairman and former minister Sajad Gani Lone wrote on X ,"
The death of Imtiaz Ahmed Magrey has raised suspicions. It is imperative that the death be investigated. The family’s claim needs to be taken into account.”
CPI(M) leader and MLA M.Y. Tarigami also reacted strongly to the incident. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “The incident calls for a thorough and impartial investigation to establish the circumstances that led to the youth’s death.”
J&K Apni Party chairman Altaf Bukhari expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding Imtiyaz Magray’s death, stating, on X, that the death of this youth is mysterious; therefore, it demands a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind this incident.
"The custodial death of Imtiyaz is a profoundly tragic and unacceptable event that underscores serious shortcomings in the custodial system. Whether resulting from oversight, error, or deliberate this incident represents a significant failure to protect the lives and rights of individuals in custody,” said AIP leader and MLA Sheikh Khursheed.
‘Mysterious deaths’ after Pahalgam attack
Imtiyaz Magray’s mysterious death raises pertinent questions of the circumstances involving the incident being part of a broader pattern.
Two days after the deadly attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists, a man identified as Altaf Lali was killed on April 25 in an alleged fake encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district, according to his family.
Officials claimed that Altaf was a militant associate and the brother of jailed Hizbul Mujahideen member Talib Lali. As the news of his death spread, protests erupted in the Ajas area of Bandipora, where his family strongly refuted the official account.
They alleged that Altaf had been picked up from his home two days before the encounter, calling the incident staged and demanding justice.
Hajira Begum, an elderly woman from Kani Khas village in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, is still in deep shock after her 44-year-old son, Ghulam Rasool Magray, was killed by unidentified gunmen on the night of April 26.
Just four days after the deadly Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists, Magray—a daily wage labourer and the only support for his aging mother—was dragged out of their home by two armed men who claimed they were conducting a search.
Hajira, who has poor eyesight, recalled hearing them speak in a mix of Urdu and Kashmiri as they insulted and pulled her son down the stairs. Minutes later, she heard gunshots. When she stepped out, she found her son lying near the doorway, critically injured.
(The identity of the reporter of this story has been withheld due to fear of potential reprisal.)
Have you liked the news article?