JAMMU : Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Jammu has directed the personal appearance of the Investigating Officer (SHO Police Station, Billawar) alongwith the Case Diary file to apprise the Court about investigation into FIR No. 0032 of 2025 dated 09-03-2025 registered at Police Station, Billawar to ascertain circumstances which led Makhan Din to commit suicide.
The Court also issued notice to the Chief Secretary, J&K Government, Principal Secretary to Government of J&K, Home Department, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, CBI through its Director; DGP J&K, IGP Jammu Zone, SSP Kathua and SHO Police Station, Billawar and the notices were accepted by Sr. AAG who waived notices and was granted one week’s time to file the response.
These directions were passed in a writ petition filed by Mohd Mureed (Father of Makhan Din) and Juna Begum (Widow of Makhan Din), seeking transfer of investigation of case FIR No.0032 of 2025 dated 09-03-2025 to CBI for fair and impartial investigation of circumstances which forced Makhan Din to end his life in an extreme manner.
The counsel for the petitioners has apprised the Court that video of Makhan Din went viral on social media on 05-02-2025 wherein prior to taking extreme step the deceased by swearing on the name of holy book Quran had explicitly stated that during police custody at Police Station, Billawar, the cops subjected him to brutal torture for signing confession about links with militants operating in the hills of Billawar. In the video while claiming himself innocent Makhan Din admitted that confession was signed through coercive tactics of cops
Further, the counsel apprised the Court that on the dying declaration of Makhan Din, the police instead of registering the FIR has issued rebuttal and branded the deceased as OGW. After considering the detailed arguments of Counsel for petitioners, the Court directed that passing of interim direction is deferred for the time being, however, the same shall be considered on the next date of hearing on April 25th, 2025.