I saw my colleagues falling down: Eyewitness

Srinagar, June 12 (UNI) It was a normal day for Akshay Kumar and his colleagues till 1230 hrs as they were busy in the construction work of a building when unidentified gunmen, about seven to eight in number, asked the labourers to accompany them.

Narrating the sequence of events to the journalists at the Sri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital here, Akshay Kumar said they were as usual busy with the construction of the building at Badroo village under the Yaripora police station in Kulgam area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district till 1230 hrs when they decided to take a lunch break in view of heavy downpour.

''As we were having the lunch, about seven to eight gunmen, some also carrying lathis, asked us if we were Hindus or Muslims. When we told them that we are Hindus, they asked us to finish the lunch and accompany them,'' he said.

Akshay said the gunmen forced the labourers to walk for an hour on plains. ''On the way, we begged them that we will go back to our village if spared. But, they didn't listen to us and instead started beating us with rifle butts and lathis,'' he added.

He said the labourers, 14 in number and all from Kadiali village of Murunga district in Nepal, were asked to stand in queue at an isolated place.

''In few seconds, we didn't know what happened. It was as if hell had broken on us. The gunmen fired indiscriminately. I saw seven to eight of us falling down on the ground and then everything went blank for me. When I opened my eyes I saw myself in hospital,'' Akshay said.

He also alleged that the gunmen were ''security forces in civvies''.

UNI AG MSJ GC2134