Body of J&K youth who jumped into Chenab found in Pak; kin seek PM's help to retrieve it

The body of a youth who reportedly took his own life by jumping into the Chenab River last month was recovered in Pakistan. His family has now appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help in returning the remains for final rites.

Harash Nagotra, a resident of a border village in the Akhnoor sector, went missing on June 11 and his motorcycle was recovered on the banks of the river.

A police official said a missing report was registered by Nagotra's family the next day.

Preliminary investigation suggested that he might have ended his life by jumping into the river after suffering a loss of over Rs 80,000 in an online gaming application, the official said.

Death confirmed

The family got the confirmation about Nagotra's death through a WhatsApp message from a Pakistani official after the parents reactivated a SIM card of their son who worked in a private telecommunication company.

Nagotra's father Subash Sharma said the WhatsApp message from the Pakistani official, who claimed to be posted in the post-mortem department, informed them that the body was recovered from a canal in Sialkot in Punjab province on June 13.

The official had informed the deceased's father that the body had been buried. He also sent Nagorta's identity card to the grieving family through WhatsApp, confirming that the body recovered in Sialkot is that of their missing son.

Family requests PM's help

"We request our prime minister to help us get back the body of my son for last rites. We want to perform his last rites as per our religion," Sharma said.

Nagotra's relative Amrit Bhushan said they have already written to the External Affairs Ministry, Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office over the matter.

"We are in a state of shock and grief and want his body back. We have also appealed to Pakistani authorities to hand over the body," Bhushan added.

(With agency inputs)