The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (NC) on Monday demanded an enquiry by a sitting High Court judge into the killing of its youth leader in Rajouri district.
Remote Kesargalla area of Kalakote tehsil in Rajouri district is simmering with anger following murder of the youth National Conference leader late on Saturday allegedly by a member of a Village Defence Committee (VDC). The youth leader, identified as Ishtiyaq Choudhry, was allegedly shot in a fit of anger by a kin of local ration dealer after a tiff in Kesargalla area of Potha.
According to preliminary inquiry the kin of a ration dealer was enrolled with a local village Defence committee as non-paid member and had allegedly used the weapon issued to him by the State Government to shoot the National Conference leader.
A total number of 47 VDC’s are enrolled in the area to assist security forces. The last verification of the VDC’s was done ahead of the 2014 Assembly polls in the State and the annual verification for the current year was still pending.
So far police has registered FIR under Section 302/120B, 147 RPC and 3/25 Arms Act. and conducting thorough investigations in the case. Meanwhile, National Conference too got an opportunity to train their guns on the PDP-BJP alliance Government in the sensitive matter. Provincial President, Jammu region DS Rana Monday sought judicial probe by a sitting High Court Judge into the killing of Ishtiyaq Choudhry, terming it a political murder.
The owner of the ration dealer identified as Ashwani Kumar was absconding while all other family members including women were picked up by the police for questioning.
Seeking strong action against the culprits the family members had even refused to perform the last rites of the deceased on sunday.
local villagers had also taken out a strong protest rally along with dead body of the deceased and blocked the Jammu Poonch highway for over three hours near Muradpur in Rajouri on Sunday.
Sensing trouble in the area senior police and district administration authorities rushed to the spot to pacify them to lift the dharna. A cheque of Rs 2 lakhs was also handed over the kin of deceased after Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Shabir Ahmad Bhat gave them an assurance to recommend their case for compensation and state govt job for one of the family member. According to official sources, the compensation cheque was given to the kin from the discretionary Red Cross funds by the Deputy Commissioner to defuse the situation.