NEW DELHI: Counter-militancy heads of the Intelligence Bureau and the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) as well as senior officers of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have reached Kashmir on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s instructions as the recent killings of civilians, most from Hindu and Sikh communities, send panic through minority population of the Union Territory.
Sources told News18.com that once the team, headed by the IB’s counter-militancy head, returns to New Delhi, the NIA will likely register a case under strict sections. Sources added that the case would likely be registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) apart from sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Officials told News18 that suspects have been taken into custody by the security forces as per information provided by the counter-militancy teams. The team will also coordinate with local security forces.
Seven civilians have been killed in J&K in the last five days. Four of them were from minority communities and six of the deaths took place in Srinagar. Supinder Kaur, the principal of a Government Boys Higher Secondary School at Eidgah in Srinagar, and Deepak Chand, were gunned down around 11:15 am at the school premises on Thursday. There were no students in school at the time of the incident.
Makhan Lal Bindroo, a prominent Kashmiri Pandit and owner of Srinagar’s most famous pharmacy, was shot dead at his shop on Tuesday. A ‘chaat’ vendor, Virendra Paswan from Bihar, and another civilian, Mohammad Shafi Lone, were also killed on Tuesday in Srinagar and in Bandipora, respectively.
On Saturday, militants shot dead Majid Ahmad Gojri in Srinagar and Mohammad Shafi Dar at Batmaloo.
According to official statistics, a total 28 civilians have been killed by militants so far in 2021. Out of the 28 killed, five persons belong to local Hindu or Sikh communities and two non-local Hindu labourers.—(News18)