Decomposed body recovered in J&K, suspected to be of abducted soldier

A decomposed body was recovered on Wednesday by police in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, which is suspected to belong to the Territorial Army (TA) soldier reportedly killed by terrorists in August 2020.

Police have decided to carry out DNA mapping of the body to confirm whether it belongs to TA soldier Shakir Manzoor who was abducted and later reported to have been killed by terrorists in August 2020.

On August 2, 2020, rifleman Shakir Manzoor of 162 TA battalion had come home at Reshipora Shopian to celebrate Eid with his family.

He was driving his car to report back on duty when he went missing.


An official statement issued the next day said that Shakir's burnt car had been found in the neighbouring Kulgam district.

"It is suspected that the soldier has been abducted by militants. Search operation is in progress," the official statement had said then.

After recovering the decomposed body, a police officer said although the body is beyond recognition, yet the father of the missing TA soldier insists that it is of his son.


"We have decided to get DNA sampling done to identify if the body is that of Shakir or not", the officer said.

The decomposed dead body was recovered from an orchard in the Mohammadpora area of Kulgam district.

Police said it was wrapped in a blue tarpaulin sheet near a BSNL tower and it had decomposed beyond recognition - IANS