“We have arrested Territorial Army jawan Ashiq Hussain,” Kupwara SSP Uttam Chand said. “A murder case has been registered.” A police spokesman in Srinagar said on Thursday morning, the police received information about the suspicious death of Amina Masoodi. “The accused was known to the family of the deceased and is related to the family. An expert team has been constituted to conduct the postmortem in a fair and transparent manner. The investigation is on,” he said.

Police sources said Hussain, who is working with Tregam Harrey-based 160 battalion, had intruded into the house of Mohammad Asharf Masoodi at Muqam Doolipora-Trehgam on Wednesday night and allegedly molested his sister Amina. As she raised an alarm, her family members rushed to her room and found the door locked. Amina’s

two brothers broke the door and entered the room and found an unidentified man in the room.

“Our sister was lying on the floor. When we tried to catch hold of the man, he jumped out of the window. Few men were waiting outside the house. His election card and a mobile phone were left in the room,” said a brother from Kupwara over the phone. “Our sister was dead by the time we reached her.” Amina’s body was shifted to the hospital later.

As the news of her death spread, the locals staged protest demanding the jawan’s arrest. As the situation turned tense, the police swung into action and arrested Hussain.

Sources said the medical team reached Kupwara on Thursday evening and conducted the postmortem. “The guilty will not be spared,” said the Kupwara DC.