Second Banka man killed in J&K within 3 yrs

A pall of gloom enveloped the Nawada Bazar under Rajaun block of Banka district after a migrant worker from this village was shot dead by unknown terrorists in Bijbehara town of Anantnag, in South Kashmir, on Wednesday night.

Raju Shah alias Rajesh (30) sustained injuries when terrorists fired at him where he was run a road side stall at Jablipora Bijbehara village, succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. A Telegram channel that carries propaganda from The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack. The terror organisation has termed the killing as a “gift for your elections”.

Raju was the second native of Banka who killed in terrorists attack. Earlier on October 16, 2021 another migrant labourer of Barahat-Padghari in Banka district Arvind Kumar Shah was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rajesh stayed in Kashmir for the last ten years with wife Suman Devi and three minor children aged between two to eight years. Seven months ago, Rajesh visited his native place for personal work. “All the family members of Raju, scheduled to return home on April 20 to attend a wedding fuction of his neice. At night we received the call for his death. What will we do now? There is no one behind us,” said victim’s mother Meera Devi, who also urged from state as well as union government to bring the body of his son.

Victim’s brother Mithun Shah told HT that due to unemployment in Bhar my brother stayed in Anantnag and run a pakauda stall to earn bread and butter, also recalled that they mentioned that though his brother and other relatives have been in the valley for past 12 years but now the atmosphere is not favourable to outsiders.

The residents of Nawada Bazar gathered at the residence of Rajesh to mourn his demise.