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New Delhi: Indian Supreme Court in Monday issued a notice to the Union home ministry and the ministry of external affairs on a Public-interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to know the steps taken by the government on diplomatic and international level to seek justice for jawan Hemraj who was allegedly beheaded by Pakistan soldiers.

The PIL has alleged inaction on the part of the Union government in the Hemraj killing case and accused the Centre of furthering cultural and sporting ties with Pakistan, Indian state media reported.

In a "provocative" attack on January 8, Pakistani regular soldiers crossed into Indian territory in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and ambushed an Indian patrol killing two soldiers, one of whom - Lance Naik Hemraj - was decapitated, PTI blamed.

The attack came a day after Pakistan lodged a strong protest over what it described as an "unprovoked Indian attack" on one of its military posts along the Line of Control in Haji Peer sector, a claim which the Indian Army rejected.

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed 71 incidents of cross-border firing and ceasefire violations along Indo-Pak border in which 7 persons including 4 security personnel were killed and 15 others were injured last year.

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