A communal tone has been injected into the discourse swirling around the death of three civilians in Jammu's Kathua, with a central minister expressing suspicion that militants were involved.

The Centre on Sunday dispatched Union home secretary Govind Mohan to conduct a review meeting on security following a spate of civilian killings.

The bodies of Varun Singh, 14, and his uncles Yogesh Singh, 32, and Darshan Singh, 40, were recovered from a forest in Billawar in Kathua district on Saturday, three days after they had gone missing while returning from a wedding.

Locals on Sunday staged protests and observed a shutdown. Two civilians had died under similar circumstances in the area last month.

The deputy inspector-general of the Kathua range, Shiv Kumar, said a committee had been set up to probe the deaths.

Though the police have not said anything on militant involvement, science and technology minister Jitendra Singh claimed that the killings were carried out by militants as part of a “deep conspiracy” to disturb peace. The hint appeared to be at the Hindu identity of the victims.

“The brutal murder of 3 youths by terrorists in the Bani area of Kathua district is not only extremely tragic but also a matter of great concern. A deep conspiracy seems to
be behind the attempt to disturb the atmosphere in this peaceful region,” the minister posted on X.

The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killings.

Jammu and Kashmir politicians on Sunday escalated the communal rhetoric over the deaths.

PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said the situation in Kathua was “deeply alarming” and claimed nearly a dozen people from both communities had lost their lives there in a “short span of time”.

“Five of them were allegedly chased by police and cow vigilantes, which led to fatal accidents. Subsequently, the bodies of two members of the Hindu community were found, followed by three more yesterday,” Mehbooba said. “Tragically, while the police seem more focused on extracting false confessions from victims like Makhan Din, the real perpetrators are still at large.”

Din had died by suicide last month following alleged police torture to extract information about militants in the area.

The leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma, criticised Mehbooba for “politicising” the killings but himself added fuel to the fire.

“The way these killings are taking place is very worrying. There is no mark, no bullet or knife. It is a conspiracy to create a suspense which will benefit Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, who are sitting in Kashmir while some of their agents are in Jammu,” the BJP leader told a crowd in Kathua.

Sharma accused Kashmiri politicians of diverting attention through their statements. “If you are diverting the issue, you are mocking the sacrifices of our brave men. Mehboba Mufti is saying there is a conspiracy and Muslims will be targeted. Shame on her. You should not think that this pain is felt only here (Kathua), it is felt in the last corner of Kishtwar, Paddar, Dachan, Marwah, Doda, Bhaderwah and Ramban. Such emotions are felt by every member of the Hindu community,” he said.

Sharma vowed to crush militants and their sympathisers.

The government is facing allegations of targeting Muslim civilians under the garb of fighting militants. Officials said several people had been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) by the Kathua district administration on charges of supporting the militants.

The PDP claimed around 30 people had been charged under the PSA and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act “with scant or no evidence”.

“There are indications that certain disruptive elements, possibly operating both within and across the border, may be stoking communal tensions in this sensitive border district. The authorities must act swiftly yet judiciously to bring the true culprits to justice and ensure that peace and communal harmony is maintained,” Mehbooba said.