NSA, RAW chief meet Amit Shah
STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: A 29-year-old Bank Manager hailing from Rajasthan was assassinated by a terrorist of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba inside his office premises in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Thursday, making it eighth targeted killing in the Valley since May 1 and the third of a non-Muslim government employee.
Vijay Kumar, posted with the Ellaqui Dehati Bank (EDB), sponsored by State Bank of India, at Arreh Mohanpora branch in the district, received grievous gunshot injuries and died on his way to hospital, officials said.
Migrant labourer shot dead, another injured in Budgam
Srinagar: A non-local labourer was shot dead while another injured by terrorists in Budgam district on Thursday night, officials said.
Terrorists fired at two non-local labourers at a brick kiln at Magraypora in Chadoora area of the central Kashmir district, the officials said.
They said the labourers, identified as Dilkush Kumar and Guri, were injured in the attack.
While Guri was discharged from the hospital, Kumar was shifted to SMHS hospital here where he succumbed, the officials said, adding Kumar (17) was a resident of Arnia area of Bihar.
Police have cordoned off the area and are looking for the terrorists involved in the incident, which took place at 9.10 pm, they said.
The CCTV footage showed the killer entering the premises first probably to verify whether the victim had come to the office, and within seconds returns with a pistol and fires at Kumar.
While one bullet hit the wall, the second hit Kumar leaving him seriously injured, the officials said, adding he succumbed to injuries on way to a hospital.
Kumar, who joined EDB in March 2019, had married in February this year and was supposed to come back to Bhagwan in Hanumangarh of Rajasthan, his native village, for 10-15 days next month. But the destiny willed otherwise, said his father Om Prakash Beniwal on Thursday after the news about his son reached him.
“He had called recently and promised to come home for 10-15 days in July. We wanted him to settle down in Rajasthan but the destiny was something else,” said Beniwal, who is a government schoolteacher.
The family was in a deep shock as preparations for last rites were being made. Kumar’s mortal remains will reach his native place on Friday.
The Resistance Front, a shadow outfit of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
During the day, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, along with RAW chief Samant Goel, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and are believed to have discussed the security situation in the Union Territory.
Fear-stricken Govt employees carry out march in Jammu, demand transfer to home districts
Jammu: Amid unabated targeted killings in Kashmir, hundreds of government employees posted in the valley took out a march here on Thursday to demand their immediate transfer to their respective home districts.
The protesters were carrying placards in support of their demand and pictures of their colleague Rajni Bala, a school teacher who was shot dead by terrorists at a school in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday, and chanted slogans demanding relocation.
The march was carried out from Press Club to Ambedkar Chowk.
Assembled under the banner of All Jammu-based reserved categories employees association’, the protesters said they will not resume their duties as the government has failed to stop targeted killings and provide a secure atmosphere to them.
Nearly 8,000 employees from different districts of Jammu are working in Kashmir under inter-district transfer policy and we are not going to return and resume our duties in the present atmosphere. We are serving there for the last 15 years but are feeling insecure and tense in view of the spurt in the targeted killings, Ramesh Chand, a teacher posted in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, told reporters. He said they have also come to pay homage to Bala and demand the government to ensure free education to her minor daughter and secure a government job for her.
We are frustrated by the deteriorating security situation as nobody, including Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs are safe there. Anyone can become a victim of terrorists anytime, he said and referred to the latest killing of bank manager Vijay Kumar from Rajasthan in Kulgam district on Thursday.
Another employee Anjana Bala, a teacher posted in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, said, We do not need government accommodation or promotion, we only want our transfer from the valley as providing security to each employee is not possible.
There is no safer place in the valley and we are not ready to accept the government proposal of relocation within the valley, she said, adding they have never faced any problem from the locals who have always supported them.
She said if the government can abolish decade-old Article 370 in August 2019, what stops them from making minor changes in the transfer policy and relocating them to their home districts.
We did not support the people of Kashmir who were against the revocation of Article 370. They were right and today we regret our decision as nothing changed on the ground except that we had lost the special status, she said.
Another teacher said they have gone there to earn their livelihood and not to settle there.
The government is saying that they will relocate us to safer places but even after that if something untoward happens, who will be responsible. Today a bank manager was shot dead inside his secured office, while recently a Kashmiri pandit employee was gunned down in his office chamber, he said.
He said they have lost faith in the administration and will not return to the valley to become scapegoats.
Details of their meeting were not known immediately but they were believed to have discussed the situation in restive Kashmir. The home minister will be chairing a high-level meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation.
The latest killing led to a chorus of condemnation from political parties across the spectrum, including the National Conference and the BJP.
Kumar had joined the Kulgam branch only a week ago. He had earlier been working in the Kokernag branch of the bank, co-owned by the Central government, the Jammu and Kashmir administration and the State Bank of India.
The SBI issued a statement saying the bank remains committed to ensure the safety and well-being of all its employees, including those posted in the Valley.
The EDB shall ensure that the bereaved family is provided with necessary support – financial and otherwise – on priority, it said.
Condemning the act, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) general secretary C H Venkatachalam said it is a matter of serious concern to all in the banking sector.
“Every now and then we get such disturbing news from one state or the other. Lot of very qualified youngsters are joining the banks for their career and better prospects. It is a pity that such incidents do happen periodically with no solution about the security of bank staff,” he said.
Canara Bank Officers’ Association general secretary Ravi Kumar, while condemning the incident, demanded strict action against those behind this killing.
The fresh killing comes barely two days after a Hindu woman teacher Rajni Bala, hailing from Jammu’s Samba district, was shot dead by terrorists at a government school in Gopalpora, Kulgam.
The spate of targeted killings started in May this year which included that of Rahul Bhat, a clerk, who was shot dead inside the tehsildar’s office in Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district.
Of the eight targeted killings in Kashmir since May 1, three victims were off-duty policemen and five were civilians.
“So very sorry to hear about the targeted killing of Vijay Kumar. Tweeting to condemn an attack and condole a death are becoming a mind-numbingly regular thing. It’s heartbreaking to see families destroyed like this,” NC vice- president Omar Abdullah said in a tweet.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone termed the killing a heinous act and said he was at a loss of words to express his condemnation for such a heinous act.
“Yet again extremely sad news coming in. An innocent civilian working as a manager in a bank in Kulgam has been shot dead,” he said on Twitter.
In Jammu, the J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina said the recent targeted killings in the Valley is a conspiracy by Pakistan to create fear and sabotage the Centre’s efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the Union Territory.
