Targeted Killings Continue : After Rahul Bhat, Amreen Bhat , Rajni Bala Now Vijay Kumar ; Omar Abdullah, Sajad Lone Condemn Attacks

Picture : Twitter / ANI

A 29-year-old bank manager hailing from Rajasthan was shot dead by a terrorist of the banned Lashkar-e-Tayiba inside his office premises in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Thursday, making it the eighth targeted killing in the Valley since May 1 and the third of a non-Muslim government employee.

Earlier, Rahul Bhat, Rajni Bala were killed . Kashmir TV actress Amreen Bhat too was shot dead by Lashkar terrorists in Chadoora town of Budgam district.

Vijay Kumar, posted with the Ellaqui Dehati Bank, sponsored by State Bank of India, at its Arreh Mohanpora branch in Kulgam district, received grievous gunshot injuries and died on his way to hospital, officials said.

The CCTV footage showed the killer entering the premises first probably to verify whether the victim had come to the office, and within seconds returns with a pistol and fires at Kumar.

While one bullet hit the wall, the second hit Kumar leaving him seriously injured, the officials said, adding that he succumbed to injuries on way to a hospital.

Kumar, who joined EDB in March 2019, had got married in February this year and was supposed to come back to Bhagwan in Hanumangarh of Rajasthan, his native village, for 10-15 days next month. But destiny willed otherwise, said his father Om Prakash Beniwal on Thursday after the news about his son reached him.

Reacting to the killing, Omar Abdullah, National Conference Vice- president and Former J&K Chief Minister in tweet wrote, So very sorry to hear about the targeted killing of Vijay Kumar. Tweeting to condemn an attack & condole a death are becoming a mind-numbingly regular thing. It’s heartbreaking to see families destroyed like this.

Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone termed the killing a heinous act and said he was at a loss of words to express his condemnation for such a heinous act. “Yet again extremely sad news coming in. An innocent civilian working as a manager in a bank in Kulgam has been shot dead,” he said on Twitter.

Meanwhile , Members of Dogra Front in Jammu & Awami Awaaz in Srinagar held protest against recent targeted killings in Kashmir.