SRINAGAR: In a tragic and puzzling incident, a 26-year-old man from Kerala’s Palakkad district was found dead in a remote forest near Gulmarg in north Kashmir, leaving his family stunned and authorities grappling with unanswered questions.
The deceased, identified as Muhammed Shanib from Kanjirapuzha in Kanhirapuzha grama panchayat, had been missing for several days. His family was notified early Tuesday morning by the Jammu and Kashmir Police that his body had been discovered in dense woodland near the popular tourist destination of Gulmarg.
Police officials informed the family that Shanib’s body bore injuries consistent with a wild animal attack. Authorities have requested the family to travel to Kashmir for official identification.
Shanib had been working as an accountant in Bengaluru. He returned home briefly on April 5 before leaving again on April 13, reportedly to resume work. His family said they last received brief text messages from him and were unaware of any travel plans to Kashmir.
“We were shocked to hear that he ended up in Kashmir. He didn’t have any friends or connections there,” his uncle, Abdul Salam, told the newspaper.
