Militants kill five Sikhs

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, FEB. 3. Militants gunned down five Sikhs in the Mehjoor Nagar area of the city this evening. Five others, including a woman, were injured in the shootout.

Eyewitnesses said a group of militants started firing indiscriminately on a group of Sikhs who were chatting on the road. Three men, identified as Surjeet Singh, Balwant Singh and Sameerpal Singh, died on the spot.

The firing caused panic in the area and people ran helter and skelter. The injured were soon removed to hospital where two more people, whose identity could not be ascertained, succumbed to their injuries. Four others, including a woman, were being treated and the condition of two was stated to be critical.

Senior police and civil officials rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. A large number of Sikhs live in Mehjoor Nagar as also in the adjoining Jawahar Nagar and Allochi Bagh localities. Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain law and order and prevent any communal backlash.

It may be recalled that 35 Sikhs were gunned down in Chittisinghpora in March last on the eve of the former U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton's visit to India. A probe was ordered but the State Government is yet to appoint a retired Supreme Court judge to start the investigations.

Shops closed

Srinagar observed a complete shutdown against the death of an auto driver, Bilal Ahmed Khan, who was killed on Wednesday under mysterious circumstances. All shops, business establishments, Government offices and banks remained closed for the second consecutive day and traffic was also off the roads.

At a number of places, youth took to the streets and pelted stones. Police used teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators.

The family of the driver has alleged that two Special Operations Group personnel in civilian clothes boarded the auto and asked him to drop them at Bye Pass. The next day his body was found on the roadside.

PTI reports from New Delhi:

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, condemned the shootout, saying, ``Certain groups are still operating in the State and are opposing the peace process'' initiated by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee.

``This killing has made it clear that certain groups were still operating in the Valley, who opposed the peace process, and the occasion was right for them as the Prime Minister and Pakistani military ruler had had a telephonic conversation.''

Dr. Abdullah said the police would take all steps to bring the culprits involved in the gruesome incident to book.

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