Not expert on subject, read newspapers rarely: MLA
Sanjeev K Sharma
JAMMU, May 31: In a strange development, a significant number of women, mostly young girls, and even some married ladies, disappear every month from different parts of district Kathua and this is going on for the last more than a year with most of these missing cases being reported from Tehsil Billawar.
There are different theories by different sections of the society in this regard and all are shocked as the development is alarming and needs some immediate solution.
Tanshika Kattal, 18, resident of Chack Sardar Desa Singh, Tehsil and District Kathua went missing from her home on May 20, 2026 and her father Vinod Kumar lodged a report in this regard at Police Station Kathua. Neha Rajput, 32, wife of Jaswant Singh, resident of Dewal, Tehsil Billawar, District Kathua went missing from her home on April 27, and her husband filed a complaint at Police Station Billawar. Pinky, 34, wife of Ramesh Kumar, resident of Ward number 9, Basohli, went to Vir Savarkar Public Higher Secondary School on May 13, 2026, but did not return home. Her husband lodged a complaint in this regard at Police Station Basohli.
Three different ‘Look Out Notices’ appeared in leading newspapers of J&K for all these three missing ladies on May 30, 2026.
Similarly, on May 3, this year, Sudesh Kumar visited Police Station Billawar and stated that his daughter, Sunita Devi, 20, went missing from her home in Billawar. Kumar tried hard to search his daughter but nothing fruitful emerged. After registering a complaint in this regard, cops at Police Station Billawar claimed that they put best efforts to find the missing girl but she remained untraced.
Ultimately the Police Department got a Look Out Notice (LON) published in the leading newspapers on May 12, 2026, appealing the general public to share information, if any, with cops regarding the whereabouts of the missing girl.
The list of such missing young women in district Kathua is very long and it is increasing every month with at least 6-7 fresh cases adding to it and the missing girls are not restricted to a single community as the 19 years old Jumma, daughter of Saif Ali, also went missing from her home in Ward number 10, Barrian Pattan in Kathua on April 15, and the matter was reported to Police Station Kathua for which the LON appeared in the leading newspapers on May 5.
Another girl Sunita Devi, 20, was also reported missing from her home in Ramkot, Billawar in district Kathua, stated another such notice published in the leading newspapers on May 17.
One such notice which emerged in the newspapers of April this year was regarding the missing of a young girl Karishma Devi, daughter of Ashok Kumar, resident of village Garh Malti, Kathua. The notice stated that Karishma went to a beauty parlour but never returned home.
Same month there were similar notices regarding missing of married ladies including Julia Kumari, 21 of Hiranagar who went to hospital along with her 3 year old son on April 22 but never returned home. Her husband Suresh Kumar reported the matter to Police Station Hiranagar and after the cops failed to trace the missing lady, a LON in this regard appeared in the leading newspapers on May 12.
Similar notices also appeared in the newspapers of April for Asha Devi, wife of Balwant Raj, resident of Nagri Parle; Sapna Devi, 26, wife of Joginder Singh, resident of Ward number 18, Kabir Nagar Kathua and Neelam Kumari, wife of Khem Raj, resident of Ramkot in Billawar.
Despite repeated attempts, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kathua, Mohita Sharma could not be reached for her comments on the issue.
Though the certain reliable sources in Police Department informed that in many cases the missing girls are traced and reunited back with their families but all remained tight-lipped about the whereabouts of the ladies who still remained missing.
When informed that many young ladies are missing from Billawar area, MLA Billawar, Satish Kumar Sharma said that he was not an expert on the subject.
“I can’t say anything on this. There might be some problems. I have no proper details so far regarding this and I even rarely read newspapers to see the Look Out Notices,” he maintained.
When asked if the concern of his Constituency is not his concern, the elected MLA said that Billawar being a hilly area has some inbuilt problems and it even touches Bani area.
However, Mahadev Singh, a village elder from a hamlet in Basholi said certain anti-social elements befool the young girls from hilly areas as people of such areas are mostly innocent and get exploited easily.
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