Kashmiri pandits stage a protest over the killing of Rahul Bhat in Budgam district on Friday (PTI)
As many as 350 government employees, all Kashmiri Pandits, in the Kashmir valley have tendered resignation on Friday a day after their colleague Rahul Bhat was shot dead by terrorists inside his office in Kashmir’s Budgam district.
According to reports, the employees wrote a letter to J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, saying they did not feel safe in Kashmir anymore. These employees have been provided employment under the Prime Minister’s package for the displaced.
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Bhat, 35, was shot dead by two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists at his Tehsil office in Chadoora of Budgam district on Thursday.
Bhat was a Kashmiri Pandit government employee who had got the job of a clerk under the special employment package for migrants in 2010-11.
Protest at many places after targeted killing in valley
Angry Kashmiri Pandits held noisy demonstrations at several places in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday and were met with force by the police.
Meanwhile, security forces claimed that the two terrorists involved in the killing were gunned down by them on Friday in an encounter in Brar in the Aragam area of Bandipora district in north Kashmir.
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SIT formed to probe the case
As the protests continued during the day, it was announced in the evening that the Lt Governor had set up an SIT to probe the killing of Bhat and his wife would be given a government job.
“A decision has been taken to constitute special investigative team to probe all the aspects of the despicable terror attack. The SHO of the concerned police station has also been attached,” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha tweeted.
He also said that the administration will bear the educational expenses of his daughter.
JK administration to provide a government job to Rahul Bhat’s wife in Jammu and financial assistance to the family. The government will bear educational expenses of the daughter.
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) May 13, 2022
(With agency inputs)
