UDHAMPUR, August 14: A man was killed and another critically injured after a member of a Village Defence Committee (VDC) allegedly opened fire following an argument in the Moungri area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Friday, officials said.
The incident occurred in the morning when the three men were travelling towards Damnot Police Post, according to a senior police officer. An argument reportedly broke out during the journey, following which one of the men allegedly opened fire at the other two.
“One person was killed in the incident, while another sustained injuries,” the officer said.
The deceased was identified as Baldev Singh, son of Karta Singh, while the injured man was identified as Romesh Singh, son of Nak Ram.
“All the persons involved in the incident are members of the VDC,” an official said.
Police have taken cognisance of the incident and launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to the firing.
VDCs replaced by Village Defence Guards
The incident has brought renewed attention to the role of armed village defence groups in the region.
Village Defence Committees were formed in the 1990s to help protect remote and vulnerable villages in Jammu and Kashmir from militant attacks. Members were provided weapons and basic training by the security forces to respond to threats until regular security personnel could reach the affected areas.
Over the years, however, armed VDC members faced allegations of misuse of weapons and involvement in criminal and personal disputes, including cases involving murder, extortion and kidnapping. The use of state-issued weapons by civilians also generated political and public concerns over accountability.
The Centre subsequently approved a revised structure for the groups, renaming them Village Defence Guards (VDGs). The new framework was approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs in March 2022 and formally implemented in Jammu and Kashmir from August 15, 2022.
The VDG system was intended to strengthen the protection of vulnerable villages while bringing the functioning of village defence volunteers under a more structured framework.
The Udhampur shooting, involving members of the village defence system, is now under police investigation.
