Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir continues to grapple with a series of unexplained deaths, with the latest victim being an elderly woman, Jatti Begum (60), who passed away at GMC Rajouri on Friday morning. This brings the death toll to 16. Tragically, Jatti’s husband, Muhammad Yousuf (62), also succumbed to the illness two days prior. Five other members of the same family have also perished due to this mysterious ailment.
While the government has assured the public not to panic, stating that investigations have ruled out communicable diseases, a sense of unease persists. Initial investigations by the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, conducted by renowned institutions like the National Institute of Virology and the National Centre for Disease Control, have found no evidence of bacterial or viral infections.
However, a significant development emerged from toxicological analysis conducted by CSIR-IITR, which detected toxins in multiple biological samples. This finding has shifted the focus of the investigation towards potential environmental or other non-infectious causes.
The Rajouri police have established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding these deaths. The government has emphasized its commitment to public safety and has taken several measures to address the situation, including expert consultations and the deployment of resources to understand the underlying factors contributing to these fatalities.
