SRINAGAR: Unidentified gunmen have shot dead a sarpanch (village head) in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police say.
The gunmen stormed into the house of Ghulam Mohammed Lone in Kolpora village at around 8:30 p.m and fired at him.
He received a bullet in the head and died on way to hospital, a senior police officer told freepress.
The deceased was associated with the state’s governing National Conference party.
This is the latest in a series of attacks on Sarpanchs and Panchs (members of the village panchayat) since they were elected two years ago.
The police have blamed most of the attacks, including the latest, on separatist militants who have on several occasions asked the sarpanchs and panchs to quit.
The Indian authorities have touted the peaceful conduct of panchayat elections as a sign of normalcy in the state after two decades of armed conflict.
Panchayat members have been demanding police security but the authorities say providing guards to every individual panch and sarpanch is just not possible.
