New Delhi:
Tension prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhaderwah and indefinite curfew was imposed after a man was allegedly murdered by ‘cow vigilantes’. The victim has been identified as Nayeem Shah of Mohalla Qilla. The villager, believed to be in his late 40s, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Thursday at around 2am. He was returning home along with two other people when the trio was stopped by some men and Shah was murdered in cold blood. The victim’s family has blamed cow vigilantes for the murder. However, multiple media reports quoted the police as saying that the facts were yet not clear.
Meanwhile, the Sanatam Dhadam Sabha, an organisation of Hindus, has demanded the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the Bhaderwah murder. "We suspect a well-planned and coordinated action of anti-social and anti-national elements to disturb the peaceful situation in the Bhaderwah area. We demand constitution of an SIT to probe the case," the organisation's spokesman said. The organisation also requested the governor to take action against erring officials.
The Doda district administration, however, ruled out cow vigilantism as the reason behind the murder and said that some people were trying to give communal colour to the incident to flare up the situation.
"One person with the name of Nayeem was coming from Chatergala side during midnight. When he reached near Nalthi area, he was killed and another person with him suffered splinter injuries (in a firing incident)," IGP Jammu Zone, M K Sinha told PTI. Two suspects, who allegedly had opened fire, have been arrested and five others detained, he said.
