Budgam, May 7: One tourist was killed and a local woman got injured as groups of stone pelters targeted vehicles in Narbal area of district Budgam on Srinagar-Gulmarg highway on Monday.
In response to a strike and protest call given by joint separatist leadership, dozens of stone pelters threw stones on anything and everything passing through the area ensuring the shutdown.
An ill-fated Innova vehicle, carrying tourists, too fell to the fury of stone pelters, and a stone hit a tourist in his head, sources said.
“The injured tourist was rushed to SKIMS, Soura where he succumbed to his injuries,” sources added.
The killed tourist was identified as R. Thirumani, 22, son of Rajaveel. S resident of Chennai, sources said.
Sources said that the vehicle, the tourist was travelling in, was on the way to Gulmarg.
They further said that three more tourists, boarding the vehicle were injured and are being treated at SKIMS.
Meanwhile, SP Budgam, Tejinder Singh told ‘Kashmir Images’ that today early morning some vehicles plying on Narbal road were attacked by stone pelters.
He confirmed that a tourist was injured in the stone pelting incident, who was referred to SKIMS where he succumbed to his injuries.
We’ve killed a tourist by throwing stones at the vehicle he was travelling in. Let’s try and wrap our heads around the fact that we stoned a tourist, a guest, to death while we glorify these stone pelters & their methods.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 7, 2018
One girl, Sabreena, 19, from Handwara, travelling in another vehicle on the same route too was injured in the stone pelting incident. She was referred to SKIMS, Soura, where she is reported to be battling for life, sources said.
Though the Srinagar-Gulmarg stretch was earlier believed to be safe for all, of late it has become too volatile as Budgam police has miserably failed to maintain calm in the area, some locals, upset with the incident said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, visited the Police Hospital to express solidarity with the bereaved family of the slain tourist.
Deeply saddened by the news of death of a tourist due to stone pelting. Condemn such hooliganism and https://t.co/pL8iLlWKIL is totally against our ethos of treating tourists as respected guests and brings a bad name to the peoples movement
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) May 7, 2018
It may be mentioned here that a few weeks back, Times of India carried a report about stone pelters attacking tourists and the same was not only rebutted by the government but even an FIR was registered against the newspaper’s J&K Bureau Head by some tourism traders.
