Hired cook dies in suspected BSF shootout on J&K border | News from India

JAMMU: A 28-year-old cook hired for a construction project near an outpost along the India-Pakistan border in J&K's Samba district, was fatally shot in the chest by BSF guards on Friday evening, police said on Saturday, suggesting it could be a case of mistaken identity.
The cook – Vasudev from Akhnoor in Jammu district – allegedly wandered in the darkness from the construction site to the border.“When the BSF guards at the outpost noticed a suspicious movement, they raised a warning. They asked the man to stop and identify himself. Instead of stopping, he allegedly started running, prompting the guards to shoot,” said Samba ASP Surinder Choudhary.
Vasudev was rushed to Samba Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Choudhary said police “have taken notice of the matter and further investigation is underway”. BSF did not release any statement until Saturday evening.
Samba ADC Suresh Kumar Sharma said an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh, including Rs 4 lakh from the construction company, was given to the family, who received the body after the post-mortem.
Initially, the shooting was suspected to be a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops. Although these cases have declined since February 2021, when the two neighbors agreed to strictly adhere to the 2003 ceasefire agreement, occasional violations by the Pakistani Rangers have taken place.
On November 9 last year, a BSF soldier was fatally injured in unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side. Earlier incidents of firing and shelling on October 17 and 28 left four BSF soldiers and one woman injured.