Islamabad (Urdu Point / Pakistan Point News – 27 March 2026) From 2021 to 2025, 249 cases of custodial killings and ‘fake encounter’ deaths were reported in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is a stark reflection of ongoing state violence that highlights a pattern of oppression aimed at silencing Kashmiris’ demand for freedom, the right to self-determination recognized in UN resolutions.
A report by the Kashmir Media Service, in response to the allegations made by India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, notes that official figures significantly underreport such incidents. Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, informed the Lok Sabha on March 24, 2026, that only eight custodial deaths have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir since April.
2021.
This information was provided in response to an unstarred question asked by MPs Selvaraj V, K. Subbarayan, and Rajkumar Rawat.
According to the Minister, the data received from IndiaThe National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reports two deaths in custody each year in 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25, with no deaths in custody reported as of 15 March 2025.
The Kashmir Media Service (KMS) report challenges official narratives, alleging that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the Indian state of illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is concealing widespread human rights violations and violence by Indian forces.
It presents annual figures for deaths in custody and fake encounters: 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 referendum and political rights, which it links to obligations recognized in UN resolutions.
The report also claims that more than 5,000 Kashmiris, including women, are currently imprisoned in the region and in Indian prisons, with about 3,200 of them facing charges linked to pro-freedom activities. Many detainees are held under strict laws, such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA), often with lengthy trials.
It also highlights the lack of accountability in cases of deaths in custody or confrontation, due to legal protection under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
In addition, it claims that complaints and FIRs filed by local residents often go unregistered, while reports filed by the police may distort facts and obscure the facts on the ground.