L-G Sinha condemns murder of civilians in Jammu & Kashmir; Bihar CM announces ex-gratia

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Saturday, strongly condemned the brutal killings of two civilians by terrorists in Srinagar and Pulwama. Amid a slew of targetted murders taking place in the Union Territory, two non-local civilians identified as Arbind Kumar and Sagir Ahmad were gunned down by terrorists in broad daylight. L-G Sinha conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families in the hour of grief.

He assured that the perpetrators of the heinous attacks 'will pay a very heavy price for killing innocent civilians' as efforts to crush terrorists and their ecosystem intensify in Jammu and Kashmir. Sinha urged the people to speak in one voice and join hands in the government's fight against terror.

Arbind Kumar, a resident of Bihar who worked as a street vendor, succumbed to his injuries after being shot by terrorists in Srinagar. Shortly after, terrorists in the Pulwama district fatally attacked Sagir Ahmad, who belonged to Uttar Pradesh. 

Bihar CM announces ex-gratia to kin of deceased

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced Rs 2 Lakh ex-gratia from the CM relief fund for the next of the kin of Arbind Kumar Sah who was killed by terrorists in Srinagar. 

Bihar's former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said that he spoke to L-G Sinha regarding the incident over the phone. He was told that the body of Arbind Kumar Sah is being sent to his hometown. 

"The killing of Arvind Kumar, a resident of Bihar, who used to sell golgappas in Srinagar, is very sad. I condemn the act in the strongest words. The intentions of the terrorists backed by Pakistan will not succeed," said Sushil Kumar in a tweet. 

Reacting to the incident, former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, "Strongly condemn the killing of street vendor Arvind Kumar in a terror attack in Srinagar today. This is yet another case of a civilian being targeted like this. All Arvind Kumar did was come to Srinagar in search of earning opportunities and it’s reprehensible that he was murdered."

Civilian killings on the rise in Jammu & Kashmir

In the past few days, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed several targeted attacks on civilians. The security forces have intensified the anti-terror operations. In a statement, J&K DGP Dilbag Singh on Saturday informed that three of the five terrorists involved in the civilian killing in Srinagar have been gunned down.

Earlier on Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had condemned the killings of civilians by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the Centre to take effective measures to ensure the safety of the Union Territory's residents. 

Image: ANI, PTI