New Delhi: Nine Kashmiri Pandits have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir since 2020, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said four Kashmiri Pandits were killed in 2022 and as many in 2021, while one was killed in 2020.
The victims include a person belonging to the Kashmiri Rajput community, he said.
Replying to another question, Rai said the Union home ministry has spent about Rs 2,815 crore for various aspects of security in Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years.
The minister said Rs 1,267 crore was spent in 2019-20, Rs 611 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 936.095 crore in 2021-22.
The minister, meanwhile, informed the Rajya Sabha that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has so far registered 497 cases of terrorism and judgment has been pronounced in 67 cases of which conviction has been obtained in 65 cases.
He said that as on December 2, the NIA has registered 497 cases including the recent Coimbatore blast incident.
“Fairness and transparency in investigations by the NIA is evident from the fact that from 2019 to 2022 (up to December 2, 2022), judgment has been pronounced in 67 cases, out of which, conviction has been obtained in 65 cases and two cases have ended in acquittal,” he said in a written reply.
Rai said the NIA is mandated to investigate and prosecute offences of grave nature affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, security of state, friendly relations with foreign states, matters relating to international treaties, etc., as specified in its schedule cases having gravity including national and international implications are entrusted to NIA without any bias or prejudice.
