Rajouri Mysterious Deaths: In a big step in the case of mysterious deaths in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri, the district administration has declared the Badhal area a containment zone and imposed restrictions on all gatherings in the region.
Containment Strategy and Surveillance Measures for Affected Families and Close Contacts in Badhal, Tehsil Khawas, District Rajouri—the imposition of Section 163 of BNSS—thereof, the order issued by the District Magistrate of Rajouri reads
Amid the recent health situation in the Badhal area and to curb the further spread of infection, the following orders are hereby issued under Section 163 of BNSS for immediate implementation:
1. Establishment of Containment Zones:
All families where deaths have occurred shall be declared as Containment Zone 1.
The houses of these affected families shall be sealed, and entry will be restricted for all individuals, including their family members, unless otherwise authorized by the designated officers/officials.
All families identified as close contacts of affected individuals shall be declared as Containment Zone 2. Immediate shifting of individuals from these families to GMC Rajouri for continuous health monitoring is mandatory.
- Containment Zone 3 (All Households of Badhal Village): Staff will be deployed to ensure the continuous monitoring of food consumption.
Police personnel will be stationed to enforce compliance with the consumption of the replaced food item under observation.
Designated officers will ensure that a logbook is maintained, recording every instance of food distribution and consumption. The entries will be made in the said logbook three times a day, and each entry must be signed by the monitoring officer for accountability purposes.
Prohibition of Gatherings: All public and private gatherings are hereby prohibited within the jurisdiction of these containment zones to prevent further spread of the infection.
Monitoring of Food and Water:
The designated officials (already identified by the administration) shall be responsible for monitoring all meals provided to families in containment zones.
As many as 17 people have lost their lives so far, impacting three families. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is already investigating the incident on the spot. The order states: “All families where deaths have occurred shall be declared as Containment Zone 1.
To enforce compliance, the order specifies: “Police personnel will be stationed to monitor the consumption of replaced food items under observation. Designated officers will maintain a logbook recording every instance of food distribution and consumption. Entries in the logbook will be made three times daily and signed by the monitoring officer for accountability.”
Furthermore, the order strictly prohibits all public and private gatherings within the jurisdiction of these containment zones to prevent further spread of the infection.
Yesterday Chief Minister Omar Abdullah too visited Budhal village. Omar met the members of three affected families that witnessed 17 deaths, including 13 children, between December 7, 2024, and January 19, 2025.
The victims belonged to three related families. Omar expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and assured residents of a transparent investigation. He, however, said to reporters that until now investigators have not been able to establish the reason behind mysterious deaths in the hamlet, but efforts are on to ascertain the cause of deaths. “The government’s priority is to stop this cycle of deaths, and it should not go beyond 17,” he said.
