Srinagar, June 25
Two days after their kidnapping by unidentified militants, the police recovered the bodies of IRCON railway engineer Sudhir Kumar and his brother Sajjan from the remote Zainpora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir today.
The two were kidnapped along with two others from the Gulzarpora area in Pulwama district on Wednesday afternoon. While Shabir Ahmad, driver of the vehicle and Farooq Ahmad Kuchay were set free the same evening, the railway engineer looking after the work on the railway line in the area and his brother were taken to an unknown destination.
The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from the IRCON for the release of the 30-year-old engineer and his 20-year-old brother. Sajjan had recently come to the valley and was staying with his brother along with their ailing mother. There had been an initial contact between IRCON officials and the kidnappers through the mobile telephone of the kidnapped engineer, through which the demand of Rs 50 lakh had been made.
Though no militant outfit claimed responsibility of the kidnapping, the police claimed that the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit was responsible for the kidnapping and brutal killing of the brothers. The killing was condemned by the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and the party leadership. They expressed shock and grief
at the killing. The police said the bodies of the brothers, with throats slit, were recovered from a ditch at Malnar Wuddar in Sugan-Khushoo in the Zainpora area. These were recovered beside the parked vehicle in which the two had been travelling. The recovery was made under tight security cover after information about a vehicle having been parked in a deserted place was received. A bomb disposal squad was pressed into service.
Condemning the brutal killing, the Chief Minister said the incident was a blot on the fair name of Kashmir and a part of a conspiracy to strangulate its economy. He said it appeared that enemies of peace had not realised the resolution of the people and were unable to read the writing on the wall. He said such incidents would not impede the efforts of the people of the state for protecting and preserving their glorious traditions, but the loss of innocent lives was unacceptable.
