Body found in Shopian identified as missing panch militants withheld “due to COVID-19”

Srinagar: The body recovered by police from an orchard in Dangam area of Shopain district has been identified as that of a missing Panch from Khonmoh area.

Earlier in the day, official sources told Global News Service that a body buried in an orchard was spotted by a passerby. He informed the police who sent a team to the spot and recovered it.

“The body has been identified to be that of the panch Nissar Ahmad Bhat of Khonmoh,” they said.

The family had already filed a report with the police, stating that Bhat left for Shopian on August 19 and was missing since then.

Last week, militants released an audio in which they claimed to have killed the panch and “did not return the body due to COVID-19 pandemic.”

Pertinently, police had declined to comment on the purported audio. GNS