Terrorists Kill Three Persons In Kashmir In Three Separate Incidents On Tuesday Evening; Prominent Hindu Businessman Of Srinagar, Migrant From Bihar Among Victims

Terrorists shot dead three civilians within two hours, in three separate incidents in Srinagar and Bandipora on Tuesday evening. The three victims have been identified as Makhan Lal Bindroo, Virendra Paswan and Muhammad Shafi Lone. Bindroo was a prominent Kashmiri Pandit businessman in Srinagad while Paswan was a street hawker. Lone was a resident of Bandipora.

As per reports, the terrorist organization ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF) has claimed responsibility for the killing of Bindroo.

Timeline of the attacks

“At about 19:25 hrs, Srinagar Police received information about a terror crime incident near Iqbal Park Shergarshi area of Srinagar. Officers attending the terror crime spot learnt that the owner of Bindroo Medicate namenly Makhan Lal Bindroo was shot at by terrorists near his shop at Iqbal Park. He received grievous gunshot injuries in this terror incident and was immediately evacuated to nearby hospital, however he succumbed to his injuries,” Jammu & Kashmir police said in a statement.

“Meanwhile, at about 20:15 hrs, Srinagar Police received information about another terror crime incident near Madina Chowk Lalbazar area of Srinagar, where terrorists shot dead a ‘non-local’ (street hawker), identified as Virendra Paswan, originally a resident of Bhagalpur, Bihar, currently residing at Alamgari Bazar Zabidal,” said the police.

Later in the evening, within an hour of these killings, militants shot dead a civilian in Shahgund, Bandipora district. The slain was identitfied as Muhammad Shafi Lone. Lone was rushed to the hospital but succumbed on the way.

"Police have registered cases regarding these terror crime incidents. Investigation is in progress and officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of these terror crimes. The respective areas have been cordoned off and searches are going on,” the police statement added.

Condemnations from across party lines

Bindroo, a Kashmiri Pandit, was among the few Kashmiri Hindus who did not migrate out of Kashmir even after radical Islam took control of the valley in the 1990s. He stayed in Srinagar with his wife and continued to run his pharmacy, ‘Bindroo Medicate’.

Condemning the attacks, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha said that “...terrorists will never succeed in their nefarious designs, and those responsible for such heinous acts shall be brought to justice...”.

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah condemned the civilian killings and said that “I am extremely heartbroken to hear about the dastardly killing of noted businessman ML Bindroo ji...There is no humanity to be found within those who perpetrate such heinous acts of inhuman, outrageous and thunderous violence...”.

BJP General Secretary organisation Ashok Kaul strongly condemned the killing of Bindroo. “May the soul of the departed rest in peace…”, said Kaul.

Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari termed the killings as highly reprehensible. “...Our heads hang in shame...Is this how he has been repaid for his public services?” Bukhari asked.

In a statement, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) termed the killings as “highly shameful and mindless” and urged the LG administration to ascertain the identity of killers for exemplary punishment.

With the killing of Bindroo, terrorists have once again tried to create panic and spread fear among the Kashmir Pandit community.