Date:20/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/20/stories/2004072004961100.htm

National

Mangat Ram Sharma escapes another attempt

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, JULY 19. For the second time in a week, the Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma, today survived an assassination bid along with two of his colleagues when militants hurled a grenade. The incident took place at a public meeting at Kapran-Dooru in Anantnag district.

Four persons were killed and 30, including senior officials, injured in the attack. The seriously wounded have been airlifted here.

Eyewitnesses told The Hindu that Mr. Sharma, who addressed a public meeting in Kapran village, 110 km from Srinagar, was distributing scholarship to students when a grenade was thrown. ``It exploded in front of the podium and left several people in a pool of blood.''

The Minister of Roads and Buildings, Ghulam Ahmed Mir, said there was a huge gathering at the venue in connection with an awareness camp organised by 20 departments. "Everything was going well. The function was about to endwhen the blast occurred,'' he told The Hindu over phone. The Power Minister, Mohammad Sharief Niaz, was among those who escaped unhurt.

The injured include the Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag, Asghar Hassan Samoon, the Additional Superintendent of Police, Bashir Ahmad Tameel, Chief Engineer R&B, Mohammad Yousuf Rather and the Tourism Director, N.A. Bhat, besides general secretaries of Congress, Abdul Majid Paddar, Mohammad Anwar Bhat, and spokesperson, Amreen Badr. The condition of Mr. Samoon and Mr. Tameel is stated to be critical.

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (South Kashmir), Ravindar Kotwal, and the SSP, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, had a miraculous escape.

Police sources said Mr. Sharma and his colleagues were advised against visiting the area since it was highly infested with militants. But they insisted on going there. The authorities had made elaborate security arrangements by deploying four Deputy Superintendents of Police, one battalion of the Indo-Tibetian Border Police and four companies of the Army besides the normal police contingent.

Mufti condemns attack

The Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, condemned the attack and described it as "horrendous and highly deplorable."