BJP Sarpanch, wife shot dead in Anantnag, police blame LeT

BJP's Kulgam Kisan Morcha chief and sarpach and his wife were shot dead in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Monday, police said.

Police said at about 4 p.m., Anantnag police received information about a terror crime incident at Lalchowk area of the district where terrorists had fired upon BJP Sarpanch and his wife, a Panch.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that terrorists barged inside the rented accommodation of BJP Sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Dar, son of Ghulam Hassan Dar, resident of Redwani Kulgam at Lalchowk, Anantnag and fired indiscriminately from pistols. In this terror crime, BJP Sarpanch and his wife Jawhara Begum received critical gunshot injuries, and were immediately shifted to hospital, where both were declared brought dead," a police officer said.

Police said although the couple were provided secured accommodation at Snow Cap Hotel in Kulgam and had stayed there for a short period but they had been continuously insisting to stay at their house at Anantnag town and also submitted an undertaking in this regard.

They were also provided a Personal Security Officer (PSO) who however was found absent from duty at the time of incident. The said PSO has been placed under suspension.

Police has registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of law.

IGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that two-bike borne terrorists of LeT outfit were involved in this barbaric terror incident.

BJP J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur has strongly condemned the killing of Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife.

Terming the killings barbaric and cowardly, Thakur said attacking and killing innocent people will lead to nowhere and the acts reflect the frustration on the part of the terrorists.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has strongly condemned the killings.

"I strongly condemn brutal terrorist attack on the Sarpanch GH Rasool Dar and his wife Jawhara Banoo of Redwani Bala, Kulgam.

"This is an act of cowardice and perpetrators of violence will be brought to justice very soon. My deepest condolences to bereaved family in this time of grief," his office said in a tweet.