Srinagar, Oct 15: Terrorists on Saturday shot dead a Kashmiri Pandit in Chowdhary Gund village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district while the hunt to track down the attackers is underway.
Police identified the deceased as Pooran Krishan Bhat and said that he was critically injured in the firing by the terrorists and was shifted to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
“Terrorists fired at a civilian (minority) Bhat while he was on way to an orchard in Chowdhary Gund, Shopian. He was immediately shifted to a hospital for treatment where he succumbed. The area was cordoned off and searches are under progress,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.
Police said that Bhat was targeted when he was on his way to an orchard.
Bhat did not leave Kashmir even in the 1990s when violence was at its peak.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar said that Police has started investigation and the initial investigations reveal that a pistol was used by the terrorists to carry out the crime.
“Hunt has been launched and the culprits will be dealt with very soon,” he said.
Police said that after terrorists shot dead the minority community member, senior Police officers along with reinforcement reached the terror crime spot.
“At about 12:50 pm, terrorists fired at a civilian belonging to the minority community identified as Pooran Krishan Bhat, son of Darkinath Bhat while he was on way to an orchard in Chowdary Gund area of Shopian district,” Police said. “He had received critical gunshot injuries and was immediately evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.”
Police said that a pistol was used in terror crime and that terror outfit Al-Badr had claimed responsibility of the attack. The incident occurred barely a couple of months after another Kashmiri Pandit was shot dead by terrorists in an apple orchard in the Shopian district.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Central Kashmir, Sujit Kumar, who is also incharge of the South Kashmir Range said that initial investigation suggested that a terrorist was behind the attack.
“A Kashmiri Pandit Pooran Krishan Bhat has been murdered. We are working on the case,” Kumar told reporters. “We are not sure about anything yet. A guard was present here.”
He said that they were ascertaining the reason behind the killing. “He had gone out on his scooter and returned on it. He was not alone. They were two people,” he said. “If the incident occurred in presence of the guard who was deployed there, action will cover not only him but all concerned officers in the area.”
Kumar said that as per the preliminary probe, eyewitnesses said that there was only one person who had targeted him and was in front of him.
“Nobody has spotted anyone else who might be hiding. Things will be clear. Give us some time,” he said.