Yet another sarpanch shot dead in Jammu and Kashmir

Pulwama (

), April 9: Yet another sarpanch was shot dead by suspected

in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The deceased, Ghulam Mohammad Lone, 45, was attacked by the militants inside his residence at Kulpora village. He died on the spot.

Lone was associated with the ruling National Conference. He is the sixth sarpanch to have been killed since the panchayat elections of April 2011.

While three sarpanches were killed in September last year, the fourth was shot dead in January. On February 24, sarpanch Javed Ahmed Wani was critically injured after being shot at by suspected terrorists inside his residence in the Keeri area of Baramulla.

Wani, also affiliated to the NC, was rushed to the nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. These killings and mass resignation by panchayat workers in the state in the face of terrorist threats prompted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to order security cover for the sarpanches.

OneIndia News