New Delhi: A decomposed body of a man was recovered from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police were reported saying by PTI. The body is suspected to be that of a Territorial Army jawan who was kidnapped by militants last year. 


The corpse was wrapped in tarpaulin when it was discovered in Mohammadpora in Kulgam. 


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The police suspect that remains may be of Territorial Army jawan Shakir Manzoor Wagay who was kidnapped by ultras on August 2 last year. The remains have been taken for identification and other formalities. 


Shakir Manzoor, a rifleman with the 162 Battalion of Indian Army’s Territorial Army unit was 24 when he went missing last year. He was travelling between the Balpora and Bahibagh army camps in Shopian area. It was Eid so he had stopped at his home which was on the way to have lunch with his family before leaving at 5 pm. 


About a half-hour later he had called home, to inform that he had run into some friends and if his officers call, to not to worry, reported Indian Express. 


Hours later that day, Shakir’s charred vehicle was recovered from a field in the neighbouring Kulgam district, about 16 km from his village. The report stated that seven days later, his clothes were recovered from a ditch about 3 km away from his home, there was some dried blood on the clothes as well. Pieces of his clothes were found in the charred car as well which the family believe could have been torn during a scuffle when he was being kidnapped. 


On records, Shakir Manzoor remains missing since that day. His father Manzoor Ahmad Wagay had been digging earth everyday since then to look for his son only to return empty-handed. While speaking to Indian Express in March this year he said, he was convinced that his son was killed.


“A woman had seen about four men torturing him. Given that and the blood on his clothes, I don’t think he could have survived,” he told Indian Express.


Shakir Manzoor was the only one with a job and helped out the family after joining the Territorial Army in 2016, after his disappearance his younger brother had to drop out of college to help out the family which was under financial strain.