E-Paper
Rajasthan man killed in Kashmir buried in Bharatpur, govt declares compensation
The district magistrate of Pahari Jagdish Arya said Sharif Khan’s family will get Rs 3 lakh in compensation from the district collector, Rs 2 lakh from state government and Rs 50,000 from the Red Cross Society of Shopian, Kashmir.
The body of Sharif Khan, a 40-year-old truck driver who was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sjopian on Monday was buried on Wednesday after the district administration announced compensation for his family.
The family had earlier refused to accept his body when it was brought to Bharatpur Tuesday night. Sub-divisional magistrate of Pahari Jagdish Arya said the family will get Rs 3 lakh in compensation from the district collector, Rs 2 lakh from state government and Rs 50,000 from the Red Cross Society of Shopian, Kashmir.
“The family will also get benefits from the departments of social justice and empowerment, and rural development,” Arya said.
Sharif Khan, 40, a resident of Ubhaka village in Pahari was killed by terrorists in Shopian on Monday. The family said he had gone there to transport apples. Khan is survived by his wife, three daughters and parents.
The body reached Bharatpur late Tuesday evening and was kept in the mortuary of Pahari community health centre, said officials. “The family and villagers staged a protest and refused to accept the body,” said Pahari tehsildar Ram Kumar.
Villagers held a meeting on Wednesday and decided to make five demands: government job for a family member, Rs 50 lakh compensation, the title of martyr for the deceased man, statue in his memory and government facilities for the family.
Samoor Khan, a family member, said, “We have sent a memorandum to Prime Minister and chief minister through sub-divisional magistrate of Pahari for these demands.”
Congress MLA from Kaman Zahida Khan said a proposal for Rs 5 lakh compensation to the family will be forwarded to Jammu and Kashmir government.
Meanwhile, Khan’s companion in the truck, Ikram Khan, reached the village on Wednesday and narrated how terrorists told them not to take apples from there.
“We had eaten food and gone to sleep in the truck when two terrorists came and threatened us to not load apples from there. I managed to run away and hide in a nearby house. We heard gunshots. The house owner and I rushed to see what happened and found the truck on fire and Sharif beeding from gunshots,” Ikram Khan said.
