249 killings in custody, fake encounters since 2021 exposed brutal crackdown in IIOJK

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2026) From 2021 to 2025, 249 custodial killings and staged “fake encounter” deaths were reported in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a stark reflection of sustained state violence that underscores a pattern of repression aimed at silencing Kashmiris’ demand for freedom, a right to self-determination acknowledged in United Nations resolutions.

A report by Kashmir Media Service, countering claims made by the Indian BJP government, states that official figures significantly under report such incidents. The Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, informed the Lok Sabha on March 24, 2026, that only eight custodial deaths had been reported in Jammu and Kashmir since April

2021.

This information was provided in response to an unstarred question raised by MPs Selvaraj V., K. Subbarayan, and Rajkumar Roat.

According to the minister, data from the India’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) shows two custodial deaths each year in 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25, with no custodial deaths reported up to March 15, 2025.

Report by the Kashmir Media Service (KMS) challenges official narratives, alleging that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is concealing widespread human rights violations and violence by Indian forces.

It presents year-wise figures of custodial and fake encounter deaths: 65 in 2021, 59 in 2022, 41 in 2023, 50 in 2024, and 34 in 2025.

According to the report, these numbers reflect a consistent pattern of force aimed at suppressing Kashmiris’ demands for a plebiscite and political rights, which it links to commitments acknowledged in United Nations resolutions.

The report further claims that over 5,000 Kashmiris, including women, are currently imprisoned both in the region and in Indian jails, with around 3,200 facing charges tied to pro-freedom activities. Many detainees are held under stringent laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA), often with prolonged trials.

It also highlights a lack of accountability in cases of custodial and encounter deaths, attributing this to legal protections under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Additionally, it alleges that complaints and FIRs by locals are frequently not registered, while police-filed reports may distort facts and obscure realities on the ground.