15 Hindus killed in Doda

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, AUG. 4. In a shocking incident, 15 Hindus were massacred by a group of unidentified gunmen in a remote village of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. Four persons were injured and four others escaped unhurt in the suspected militant attack. While the State Government has blamed the Pakistan-based outfit, Lashkar-e- Taiba, for the killings, the LeT denied the charge and demanded an impartial probe into the incident.

Reports said a group of about 12 armed gunmen descended on village Ludheer (Padder) in Kishtwar tehsil and kidnapped 23 villagers at gun point. They were taken to the Sharotidhar meadows nearby, lined up and shot. Fifteen of them died on the spot. The Minister of State for Home and Law, Mr. Mr. Mushtaq Lone, said security forces had launched a massive manhunt to nab the militants.

Sources told The Hindu that the incident was reported by the village numberdar, after which a police party rushed to the spot and removed the injured to the hospital. While two of the injured, Mr. Chaplot Singh and Mr. Diler Raj, were airlifted to the Jammu Medical College Hospital, Mr. Mahinder Singh and Mr. Mahinder Lal are in a local hospital.

The deceased, identified so far, are Panna Lal, Balwant Singh, Jyoti Ram, Desh Raj, Surinder Singh, Des Raj, Puran Lal, Bal Krishan, Madan Lal, Ram Nath and Mool Raj. Three brothers, Chanchal Singh, Gouri Lal and Raj Nath were also among the dead.

Unofficial reports said curfew had been imposed in Kishtwar town but the authorities maintained that only ``strict restrictions'' had been imposed to prevent communal flare up.

The Governor, Mr. G. C. Saxena, the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, and the IGP, Jammu, Mr. R. V. Raju, visited the area and took stock of the situation. Mr. Saxena condemned the incident and said killing innocents did not serve any purpose. He assured the people that security would be tightened and village defence committees would be strengthened.

`Barbaric' says Farooq

The Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, condemning the ``barbaric incident,'' said the militants were picking on soft targets at the behest of their ``mentors across the border'' and shedding innocent blood in the State.

While the Government said the LeT and ``its mercenaries gunned down the innocent villagers,'' the outfit spokesman, Abu Osama, denied the involvement of his men. ``We do not believe in killing innocent people whatever faith or ideology they belong to'' he told The Hindu over phone.

The All-Party Hurriyat Conference chairman, Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, expressed profound grief over the incident and demanded an impartial probe.

``We cannot remain silent over this incident and it should be probed by any impartial agency,'' he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front spokesman, Mr. Tahir Ahmed Mir, also condemned the killing and said his party was ready to cooperate with any impartial inquiry.

Mirwaiz, Lone condemn killing

In Chennai, the former Hurriyat chairman, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, and the senior leader, Prof. Abdul Gani Lone, condemned the killings. The Mirwaiz said ``it is a sad incident and condemnable.'' The two leaders are in the city on a two-day trip to attend a seminar on South Asia peace.

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