Jammu, Dec 3 || A former village defence guard (VDG) was found dead on Tuesday under mysterious circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district.
Officials said the body of 45-year-old Ashok Kumar, a native of Chapper village in Udhampur, was found in the forest area.
“He had been previously disengaged as a VDG. His body was found with a point 303 rifle by his side. The body has been taken into possession by police for the completion of medico-legal formalities after a case was registered in this incident,” the officials said.
The village defence guards are provided with weapons by the police after giving them basic training in handling weapons. These guards protect their families and villages against the terrorists in remote inaccessible areas of the Jammu division.
The J&K Police have decided to provide automatic weapons to the VDGs to equip them better to face terror threats.