Plea filed in Supreme Court urging to take cognizance of targeted killing of Hindus in J&K

In a key development on Wednesday, advocate Vineet Jindal urged the Supreme Court to take cognizance of the targeted killings of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir. In a letter petition sent to CJI NV Ramana, he raised the recent murders of Rajni Bala and Rahul Bhat. Maintaining that the targeted killing of Hindus has evoked a feeling of agony, fear and insecurity among the minorities residing in Kashmir, Jindal affirmed that these target killings are an open challenge to the principles laid down by the Constitution of India. 

The SC lawyer mentioned, "Several schemes were initiated by the Government of India by providing opportunities to the Hindu migrants of Kashmir to resettle in their native place. The objective of such schemes has been constantly defeated by these targeted killings as time and again such heinous incidents have been terrorizing their spirits of being a part of Kashmir. It has dampened the spirit of Hindu minority and their generations of surviving freely in their own state by creating a fear psychosis in their minds." 

He sought the following directions to the Centre:

• Provide adequate security to Hindus in Kashmir on an immediate basis
• Establish a specially designated unit to structure and administer a system to ensure the safety and security of minority groups in Kashmir
• Investigate the recent killings of Hindus by a national security agency
• Grant Rs.1 crore compensation to the kin of Hindu victims of target killings and a government job to one family member

Targeted killings of Kashmiri Hindus

Rahul Bhat, who got a job as a clerk under the special employment package for migrants in 2010-11, was shot dead by terrorists inside the Tehsil office in the Chadoora town of the Budgam district on May 12. This targeted killing led to widespread protests by the Kashmiri Hindu community demanding adequate security from the government. Speaking exclusively to Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on May 13, his wife Meenakshi revealed that Rahul was against his transfer to Budgam in the Kashmir Valley and expressed displeasure at the lack of security provided to him. 

On May 25, a People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration delegation called on J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and discussed the safety of Kashmiri Pandit employees. As per sources, Sinha assured the delegation comprising NC president Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, CPI(M)'s MY Tarigami and Awami National Conference senior vice president Muzaffar Shah that the security forces have been given full freedom to avenge the killing of innocent people. He also told them that the Kashmiri Pandit employees will be shifted to secure district and Tehsil headquarters. 

In another incident of targeted killing, Rajni Bala was shot dead by terrorists on Tuesday. Hailing from the Samba district in Jammu, Bala, a Kashmiri Hindu, was a teacher at the government high school at Goalpara in the Kulgam district of the Union Territory. She received critical gunshot injuries after being attacked by terrorists when she was walking towards the school. While the area was cordoned off and she was rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries.