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Kashmiri Pandit Sarpanch Shot Dead by Militants in J&K's Anantnag, Political Parties Condemn Killing

Indian army soldiers stand guard near the encounter site in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. Fired upon from a point blank range near his house, Pandit was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

rmed militants killed a Kashmiri Pandit sarpanch at LukBhawan Larkipora area of Anantnag in Southern Kashmir. The sarpanch has been identified as Ajay Pandita Bharti who was a member of the Congress party.

Fired upon from a point blank range near his house, Pandit was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

No militant outfit has claimed the responsibility for the killing so far.

Meanwhile, security forces have cordoned off the whole area and an operation has been launched to nab the militants. The police has registered a case in the matter. According to source, the police have a vital lead on those involved.​

Bharti had returned to his village in south Kashmir a few years ago. He was among the first few Pandits, who built a residential house in Kashmir, years after the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in late 1980s.

He was recognised among those who had initiated the resettlement process of Pandits in the valley and worked to bridge the gaps between the different communities. His Muslim neighbours and friends described him as a "man of principles with strong social bonding and vision".

Several Pandit organisations and socio-political figures have condemned the death of Bharti. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah termed this attack as an act of cowardice and prayed for the eternal peace for the deceased.

"Very sorry to hear about the killing of sarpanch Ajay Pandita in Anantnag earlier this afternoon. I unequivocally condemn this terror attack on a grassroots political worker & pray that his soul rests in peace," National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said in a tweet.

The People's Democratic Party also condemned the killing but trained its guns at the government.

"Left in lurch by the system and hounded by those revolting against it, such is the dismal state of political workers. What can someone hope to achieve by silencing those actively serving poor and marginalised? We vehemently condemn such brutal assassination of Mr Ajay Pandita ji," the PDP tweeted.

The Congress demanded a judicial enquiry into the gruesome incident.

"The killing of Ajay Bharti (Pandit) is a mindless and shameful act which needs exemplary punishment against those behind it," a party spokesman said.

He said the party demands a judicial enquiry into the killing of the sarpanch to fix responsibility.

"The deceased Ajay Bharti, apprehending attack on his life, had written to Govt for security cover, which was reportedly denied to him. As a result, Bharti lost his life in a gruesome attack," the spokesman said.

Union minister Jitendra Singh condoled the killing saying, "It is a desperate attempt by anti-national elements to defeat the process of grassroots democracy, which is sought to be established in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time at the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

BJP national executive member and former MLC Sofi Mohammad Yousuf also termed the killing an act of cowardice act. Sofi, in a statement, further said that this act will not hamper the peace process in Kashmir and the culprits should be punished immediately.

JKPCC President GA Mir expressed deep angusih over the killing of Bharti and raised questions on the security provided. Mir has demanded a high level probe into the incident and that culprits should be brought to justice.

The Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari also condemned the killing.

UP: Dalit Teen Killed by ‘Upper Caste’ Men After Entering a Temple

All four accused have since been booked under section 302 of the Indian penal code and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

A 17-year-old Dalit boy was killed by ‘upper caste’ members of his village in Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh on June 6, allegedly because he prayed at a local temple, according to a report in the Times of India.

As per the deceased boy’s father, an argument had broken out between four ‘upper caste’ men and the boy after he entered a temple in Dhomkhera village on May 31.

“Some people, including Horam Chauhan, a youth from an affluent upper caste family, tried to stop him from entering the temple on the ground of his Jatav identity. But Vikas ignored them and offered prayers there,” Om Prakash Jatav, the father, told The Telegraph.

Om Prakash has also alleged that the boy was beaten then and that the police refused to file an FIR. “After he had finished praying, several upper caste villagers thrashed him. We approached the police at the time but they refused to register an FIR,” he said.

On Saturday night four men – Lala Chauhan, Horam Chauhan, Jasveer and Bhushan – entered the boy’s home and opened fire. “Hearing the gun shots, we rushed to save Vikas. The four men had fled by then and Vikas was bleeding. He died by the time we reached the hospital,” Om Prakash said.

All four accused have been booked under section 302 of the Indian penal code and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. “Lala Chauhan and Horam Chauhan have been arrested and the remaining two will be nabbed soon,” a police officer told Times of India.

However, the police have also said that the murder was a result of a dispute over money. During the initial probe, it has come to the fore that there was a dispute between Vikas and the accused over money. “The brother of Vikas had taken a mango orchard on rent. Lala and Horam were also partners with him. Later, they fell out after a money dispute. There was a brief fight over it a few days ago,” Vipin Tada, superintendent of police, Amroha, said.

Another police officer, Niraj Kumar, an officer in charge of the local police station, also claimed that the primary investigation didn’t suggest any dispute relating to a temple or untouchability. “Our investigation suggests the victim, the killer and other youths were playing in a field seven days ago when a fight broke out between them,” he told The Telagraph.