And quiet flows the river in Ramban

Search operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local volunteers to recover the body of Tanveer Ahmad Chopan from a fast-flowing tributary of the Chenab in Ramban have, as of 24 April, yielded no results.

Eighteen-year-old Tanveer went missing on 12 April after jumping into the turbulent Bishlari nallah in a desperate attempt to escape an attack by a group of gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes). That afternoon, he was driving home from Jammu along the Jammu-Srinagar highway in a mini-truck carrying a cow and two calves. He was not smuggling cattle; he was transporting milk-yielding animals to his home in Mundkhal village in Ramban’s Pogal area, where cattle rearing has sustained generations.

Reports indicate that he had legally purchased the animals in Jammu for dairy farming at his native place, where it is a key livelihood for the Muslim Gujjar and Bakarwal communities that Tanveer belongs to.

Eyewitnesses substantiated that Tanveer’s attackers, who were travelling in two vehicles, intercepted him, dragged him out and began assaulting him. Terrified and cornered near Magarkote, he ran towards the river and jumped in. He has not been seen since.

Every day, personnel from multiple agencies are deployed to search for Tanveer’s body. Locals gather on the riverbanks, grieve and leave; rescue teams rotate shifts. But one person remains rooted to the spot — Tanveer’s father, Abdul Salam Chopan, a special police officer.

“Had this been an accident, perhaps I could have found some fortitude. But my son was murdered. He was chased, assaulted and beaten so brutally that he chose to leap into the raging river rather than fall into the hands of his attackers,” he told National Herald over the phone, his voice heavy with anguish.

“Since that day, I feel broken. I arrive here at dawn and leave late at night with nothing but disappointment. At home, my wife and four daughters have not stopped crying for the past two weeks. Every hour, they call me, asking the same question — has he been found?”

Speaking to National Herald, Arun Gupta, senior superintendent of police said, “The search is still underway. The strong current, along with deep pits and hidden cavities in the stream, is making the operation difficult, but efforts to locate the body continue.”

The incident has triggered widespread outrage across Jammu and Kashmir. Chief minister Omar Abdullah described it as “nothing short of murder” and warned that “jungle raj will not be tolerated”.

Soon after the incident, protests broke out. Demonstrators blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), bringing traffic to a halt and prompting authorities to respond.

Police have registered an FIR and arrested four accused — Digvijay Singh, Kewal Singh, Surjeet Singh and Sandeep Singh, all residents of Ramban district. They remain in custody. A special investigation team (SIT), led by the sub-divisional police officer of Banihal, has been constituted to probe the case.

Officials, however, have remained cagey about sharing details. SSP Gupta told National Herald, “I do not consider it appropriate to reveal details of the investigation at this stage; however, I would like to make it clear that the investigation is ongoing and that relevant evidence has been duly collected.”

Hadn’t Tanveer obtained permission to transport the cattle from Jammu to Ramban, as reports suggested? In answer, the SSP said, “The matter is still under investigation. We are currently verifying it with the competent authority, the district magistrate of Jammu, and their response is awaited.”

Cow vigilantism is not new to the Jammu region. The area has witnessed a steady escalation of such attacks over the past decade. In April 2017, a group of alleged vigilantes assaulted a Muslim family — including an elderly man and a nine-year-old girl — over suspicions of cattle smuggling in Reasi.

Two years later, vigilantes shot dead 50-year-old Nayeem Ahmad Shah and injured another person in Bhaderwah while they were transporting bulls bought for farm use. In 2021, a 24-year-old man was reportedly beaten to death in Thanamandi, Rajouri, while returning home with a buffalo.

Advocate Fairoz Khan, former national president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), is among those seeking justice for Tanveer’s family. He alleges that cow vigilantes enjoy political patronage in Ramban and adjoining areas.

Speaking to National Herald, he said, “Cow vigilantism has been going on here for several years. There have been continuous complaints against these groups operating along the national highway. All four accused are known repeat offenders. They are not acting alone — they are being supported, shielded, financed and encouraged.”

Khan added, “Surjeet Singh, the prime accused arrested by the police is the district president of the Yuva Rajput Sabha. One of the vehicles used by the attackers belonged to a construction company currently building a tunnel in the area. We demand that all those involved be arrested and brought to justice.”

He further claimed, “After this incident, we obtained videos showing these individuals unleashing terror at various places — beating nomadic people and even stripping them before assaulting them. We have shown these videos to the deputy commissioner and the SSP.”

Khan also alleged attempts to suppress public discussion. “The administration has issued clear instructions not to speak about this issue, particularly on social media. People who protest are being called in and restricted. I myself was detained on the court premises while on my way to join a peaceful rally to the deputy commissioner’s office in Ramban demanding justice for the victim’s family. There appears to be an effort to suppress the situation and cool things down,” he said.

For the family, the continued search for Tanveer’s body holds out little hope. For many, this is no longer just about one young man’s death, but about confronting a pattern of violence that has gone unchecked for years.