J&K: Ahead of 4th phase of polls, kidnapped Sarpanch killed by suspected militants in Baramulla

Srinagar, Dec 13: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Jammu, terrorists on Saturday killed a village Sarpanch in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district. The recent killing is seen as yet another attempt by militants to disrupt the poll process in the state.

The body of the village headman kidnapped by gunmen from his house was found on Saturday in a field in Sopore area, police said.

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped Ghulam Muhammad Mir, 62, Sarpanch of Hygam village in Baramulla on Friday night. Mir was a National Conference Sarpanch. As per reports, 6-7 gunned militants entered his house on Friday evening and kidnapped the Sarpanch.

"The body of the slain headman has been recovered from a field Saturday morning away from the place where he was kidnapped. An FIR has been lodged," a senior police officer told news agency IANS.

Ever since panchayat polls started in the state in 2011, after a gap of 20 years, separatist militants have been targeting village heads in Jammu and Kashmir.

These killings are believed to instil fear among people so that they stay away from the democratic process. Despite poll boycott called by separatist groups, voters in the Valley defied threats and came out in huge numbers on exercise their voting franchise in the ongoing assembly polls.

While three phases of the assembly polls have been successfully completed, polling for the fourth phase in which 18 constituencies will vote in Srinagar, Anantnag, Shopian and Samba districts begins on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Jammu, state's winter capital, today to campaign for the BJP in the poll bound state. The PM will address two rallies in the region before coming back to New Delhi.

With inputs from IANS