Rahul Bhat's murder avenged; all 3 terrorists gunned down

Rahul Bhat's murder has reportedly been avenged. All the three terrorists suspected in killing has been eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir.

Bhat, 35, was shot dead by two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists at his Tehsil office in Chadoora of Budgam district on Thursday. Bhat was cremated on Friday in Jammu amid protests by members of the Kashmiri Pandit community.

As the mortal remains of Rahul Bhat reached his home in Durga Nagar area of Jammu on Friday morning where hundreds of mourners had gathered, his relatives wept inconsolably.

Rahul Bhat's wife and daughter, who were staying with him at Sheikhpora migrant colony in Budgam, accompanied the body as it arrived here from Kashmir.

His brother Sunny lit the pyre at the Buntalab cremation ground as chants of "long live Rahul Bhat" rent the air.

The community members, including Rahul Bhat's family, accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of making young Kashmiri Hindus "cannon fodder" in the name of rehabilitation of the community.

They also said the incident has shattered their dream of resettling permanently in the valley.

"You have formulated a plan to get young Kashmiri Pandits killed in the name of giving them jobs and rehabilitating them," Somnath Bhat, a relative of Rahul Bhat, alleged.

Such people are "sitting ducks" for terrorists who are using them for "target practice", he added.

Following the incident, tension prevailed in various parts of Kashmir where angry Kashmiri Pandit government employees held protests on Friday demanding their relocation to safer places outside the valley, a day after the killing of minority community member Rahul Bhat by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists.

The Sheikhpora camp, located in Budgam of central Kashmir, where Kashmiri pandit employees have been given make-shift accommodation, was the epicentre of these protests with people marching towards the airport and shouting slogans against the J-K administration.

A heavy posse of police personnel stopped the protesters after appeals requesting them to disperse failed to yield any result, leading to clashes during which the security forces had to resort to lathi-charge and firing teargas shells.

There were no reports of any injury but some purported pictures of people allegedly wounded during the police action circulated on social media.

The protestors raised slogans against the Jammu and Kashmir administration and demanded that Lt Governor Manoj Sinha should come and assure them about their safety. However, the Lt Governor was in Sopore attending a function at that time.

(This is a developing story. Refresh page for updates)