The victim Sanjay Sharma, was the lone Kashmiri pandit in the Achan village of Pulwama, known to house huge numbers of Kashmiri pandits before 1990s

New Delhi, February 27

In the case of a targeted killing, militants shot a bank guard, a Kashmiri Pandit in the Achan area of Pulwama in J&K. 

The victim was identified as Sanjay Sharma (42) who worked as a security guard at the ATM, which is barely 100 meters away from his residence. Achan village is apparently a home to Kashmiri Pandits in the valley for several decades. 

The police stated that the victim was on his way to a medial store to get medicines for his wife when the unidentified militants attacked. While his wife escaped unhurt, Sharma was critically injured in the attack and died as he was being rushed to hospital.

The family was also given police protection comprising of five policemen about three months ago. 

Sharma is the fifth Kashmiri Pandit to be killed in the Valley since militants renewed targeted attacks on the community in October 2021. He was among four of the five victims who had not left the Valley when militancy erupted in Kashmir. Sunday’s attack comes four months after the last such killing, of orchard-owner Puran Krishan Bhat who was killed outside his house in Chowdhary Gund village of Shopian.

Following the incident, the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) called for a protest shutdown on Monday and slammed the Centre for the situation.

The Kashmir Zone Police stated that the terrorists fired upon one civilian from minority namely Sanjay Sharma S/O Kashinath Sharma R/O Achan Pulwama while on way to local market. He was shifted to hospital. However, he succumbed to injuries.

The latest killing was also condemned by political leaders in the Valley. The police have begun the process to identify the killers.