Cops Question Bodyguards of Murdered BJP Leader in J&K's Kishtwar as Govt Constitutes SIT

Jammu: Two personal security officials of the senior BJP leader, who was killed by suspected militants, were detained in Kishtwar district and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday to probe the incident, officials said.

BJP state secretary Anil Parihar, 52, and his brother Ajeet Parihar, 55, were killed on Thursday night when they were returning home after closing their stationery shop located outside old DC office complex, officials said.

"The SIT has been constituted by police to probe the killings. It is headed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Prabeet Singh," Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana said.

Police have detained two personal security officials (PSOs) — Om Prakash and Sahil Kumar — who are being questioned, Senior Superintendent of Police Kishtwar Rajinder Gupta said.

Anil Parihar had been given the PSOs for his security, but they were not accompanying the leader at the time of the attack, he said.

Police swung into action and detained them from their houses and they are being interrogated, he said. If the PSOs would have been with him, tragedy could have been averted, police said.

"We urge all the political leaders and protected persons to keep their PSOs with them and do not allow them to leave them unguarded," the DC said.

Authorities will be issuing an advisory asking protected persons in Jammu and Kashmir to not move anywhere without their PSOs.

Amid shutdown in some places, massive protests rocked Jammu division on Friday against the killings.

The Army staged a flag march in Kishtwar town and District Magistrate Angrez Singh Rana said a curfew imposed in the area on Thursday night was still in place and additional security personnel had been deployed.

Rana added that no untoward incidents was reported.

Following the incident, people had staged angry protests in the communally-sensitive town and manhandled senior police officials.

Kishtwar district had witnessed communal clashes in the past when militants targeted the Hindu community, especially in the higher reaches. In 2001, they killed 17 Hindu nomads.