HATTIAN BALA (Kashmir English): The dead bodies of a couple, which swept into Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), have been handed over to Indian authorities through the Chakothi-Uri crossing point today (Saturday).
The bodies of Yasir Khan and Asia Bano, hailing from Uri Tehsil of Indian-occupied Kashmir, were recovered from along the riverbank of the Jhelum River at Chinari and Thori Lower Chhatar area of Muzaffarabad on Thursday evening.
After identification and completing the final formalities by the administration, the bodies were handed over to Indian authorities at Kaman Bridge in Chakothi, Hattian Bala district.
Pakistani Army, police, and civil administration officials were present at the site, while Indian Army and police personnel from Indian-occupied Kashmir also arrived at Kaman Aman Setu Bridge to receive the bodies.
The family members of the deceased were overwhelmed with grief as they received their loved ones’ remains.
Syed Yasir Shah, 22, and Asiya Bano, 19, residents of Dhani Busgran in the Baramulla district, took their lives a few days ago, fed up with their family’s opposition and social obstacles.
The recovery of their bodies in Azad Kashmir, with visible signs of torture and mutilation, has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Rescue authorities in Muzaffarabad said that Asia’s body was found with her hair shaved off and her nose cut, sparking concerns about honor killing or suicide.
While Yasir’s body was found at Chinari with a noose around his neck and his legs tied with ropes.
This is not the first time that individuals swept away by the Jhelum River have ended up on the other side of the Line of Control.
In the past, several such incidents have occurred, where people from both Azad Kashmir and Indian-administered Kashmir lost their lives due to the river’s strong currents.
