BJP youth leader’s throat slit by militants in Shopian

Srinagar: A BJP youth leader was found murdered in Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Shopian district on Thursday evening. The police said that his throat was slit and blamed the incident on separatist militants.

The victim has been identified as Gowhar Ahmed Bhat, the BJP’s youth district president for Shopian. The police said that his corpse was found in Khilira village of Shopian on Thursday evening. He was a resident of Shopian’s Bonagam area.

The police said that it has registered a case and launched investigation into the incident which appears to be murder by suspected militants. “The body with slit throat was found in Khilira village. We have taken by investigations,” said Shopian’s SSP Shri Ram.

The J&K police later tweeted, “Terrorists killed civilian Gowhar Ahmed in #Shopian. Investigations on.

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, condemned Bhat's killing and while sympathizing with the bereaved family said, "I appeal all sections of society to come forward to end this cycle of violence in the State".

In a similar incident, a school teacher Aijaz Ahmed Lone was found dead with slit throat in Shopian’s Wathoo village on October 18. He was a resident of neighbouring Gatipora and the officials had suspect the militants belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahedin were behind his killing.