Ramban security breach: Abandoned Scorpio found, 3 occupants flee into forest
Synopsis
A Mahindra Scorpio that ran a security checkpoint on the Amarnath Yatra route in Ramban at 3:30 am, drawing warning fire, was found abandoned hours later — but its three occupants had vanished into a forest. Investigators found animal dung inside, pointing to bovine smuggling rather than a militant threat, yet the breach on one of India's most sensitive corridors has put security forces on high alert.
Key Takeaways
A Mahindra Scorpio SUV (reg.
JK02AK-1743 ) breached a security checkpoint at Chanderkote, Ramban at 3:30 am on 7 August .
Security forces fired 3 warning rounds ; the vehicle fled towards Nashri before being abandoned near Dalwas .
All three occupants fled into a nearby forest and remain at large; a joint Army-CRPF-police search is ongoing.
Animal dung recovered from the vehicle points to bovine smuggling as the suspected motive, according to investigators.
The incident triggered a high-security alert along the Jammu-Srinagar highway during the Amarnath Yatra , which has seen over 4.71 lakh pilgrims this season.
The Yatra is set to conclude on 28 August 2025 , coinciding with Raksha Bandhan .
A Mahindra Scorpio SUV (registration JK02AK-1743) that jumped a security barricade at Chanderkote in Ramban district on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in the early hours of Friday, 7 August has been recovered abandoned near Dalwas, but its three occupants remain at large, officials said. The breach triggered a high-security alert along the strategic highway, which is currently serving as the primary route for Amarnath Yatra pilgrims.
How the Incident Unfolded
The vehicle breached a security checkpoint at Chanderkote at approximately 3:30 am IST and sped towards Nashri despite repeated signals to stop. Security personnel fired three warning rounds at the fleeing SUV as a precautionary measure, according to an official statement. The vehicle was subsequently found abandoned later that afternoon, hours after the initial breach.
'The vehicle did not stop despite repeated signals. Police personnel fired 3 rounds upon the vehicle as a precautionary measure,' an official said.
What Investigators Found
Upon examining the abandoned Scorpio, investigators recovered animal dung from inside the vehicle, leading officials to identify bovine smuggling as the primary suspected motive behind the security breach. The three occupants are believed to have fled into a nearby forest to evade capture, according to official sources. Notably, the incident occurred during a period of heightened security sensitivity — the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.
Search Operation Under Way
Joint teams comprising police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Army have launched a coordinated search operation to trace the three fugitives. The operation is ongoing across Ramban district, with security forces combing the forested terrain near Dalwas. Officials have not yet confirmed the identities of the occupants.
Impact on Amarnath Yatra
The incident has cast a shadow over the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which resumed from Jammu on Thursday after a one-day suspension. The 28th batch of 1,801 pilgrims — comprising 1,347 men, 351 women, 89 sadhus, and 14 sadhvis — departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp at around 2:45 am for the Baltal base camp in 74 vehicles. No convoy was dispatched along the Pahalgam route. More than 4.71 lakh pilgrims have visited the cave shrine so far this season. The 57-day Yatra is scheduled to conclude on 28 August, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Point of View
But it does not reduce the seriousness of the breach itself. A vehicle running a checkpoint on the Jammu-Srinagar highway at 3:30 am, drawing live warning fire and then disappearing for hours, exposes a gap in real-time interception capability on one of India's most surveilled corridors. That the incident coincided with the Article 370 anniversary and an active pilgrimage season compounds the optics. Security agencies will face pointed questions about why the vehicle was not neutralised before abandonment, regardless of whether the motive turns out to be smuggling.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Chanderkote security checkpoint in Ramban?
A Mahindra Scorpio SUV (JK02AK-1743) ran a security barricade at Chanderkote in Ramban district at around 3:30 am on 7 August, ignoring repeated stop signals. Security forces fired three warning rounds, but the vehicle fled towards Nashri before being found abandoned near Dalwas later that afternoon.
Have the occupants of the vehicle been caught?
No. All three suspected occupants fled into a nearby forest after abandoning the SUV and remain at large as of the latest reports. A joint search operation involving police, CRPF, and the Army is actively under way in Ramban district.
What was the suspected motive behind the security breach?
Investigators recovered animal dung from inside the abandoned vehicle, leading officials to identify bovine smuggling as the primary suspected motive. No weapons or militant-linked material have been reported found, according to official sources.
How has the incident affected the Amarnath Yatra?
The breach triggered a high-security alert across Ramban district, which lies on the Jammu-Srinagar highway used by Amarnath Yatra pilgrims. The Yatra itself resumed on Thursday after a one-day suspension, with 1,801 pilgrims departing from Bhagwati Nagar base camp under tight security.
When does the Amarnath Yatra 2025 end?
The 57-day Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to conclude on 28 August 2025, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and the Raksha Bandhan festival. More than 4.71 lakh pilgrims have visited the cave shrine so far this season.
