Locals claim he had links with BJP, party denies

Militants on Friday shot dead a sarpanch in Kashmir. Manzoor Ahmad Bangroo, 58, was fired upon in an orchard near his home at Goushbugh village in Pattan sub-district of north Kashmir.

Bangroo was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical condition where doctors declared him “brought dead”. Locals said Bangroo was associated with the BJP. However, the party denied any association with him.

“Bangroo was an independent sarpanch and had no affiliation with the party,” a BJP leader said.

A police officer said the area had been cordoned off and a search operation launched to arrest the attackers. The militants have stepped up attacks on civilians in the past two weeks.

On Wednesday, terrorists shot dead Satish Kumar Singh, a Rajput, at Kakran village in Kulgam district. Four non-local labourers were injured in two attacks in Pulwama last week, while a Kashmiri Pandit shopkeeper was shot at in Shopian.

Courtesy: The Tribune India: 15th April , 2022