india

Updated: Aug 22, 2018 18:28 IST

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) constituency president Shabir Ahmad Bhat’s body was recovered from Pulwama on Wednesday morning. Bhat, 26,was abducted by unidentified gunmen while he was on way to his home in Pulwama from Srinagar on Tuesday evening.

Bhat, who lived in a rented accommodation in Srinagar, was a protected person. He had left for Pulwama on Tuesday evening to celebrate Eid at his native place. He was abducted close to his home in Pulwama.

His body was recovered from Litter village. “We are investigating the circumstances of the killing of the BJP leader,” a senior police officer said.

BJP state spokesman Altaf Thakur condemned the killing of the BJP leader and blamed militants for the killing. “Bhat was our constituency president and dedicated leader. He had gone to his home to celebrate Eid with family but was abducted by militants and then killed.”

Bhat is the third senior BJP leader to be killed by unidentified gunmen in south Kashmir in the past one year. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for his killing.

Last year, a BJP youth leader, Gowhar Ahmad Bhat, 25, was abducted and killed by militants in Shopian district of south Kashmir. Gowhar was abducted from his home in Shopian town and his body, with the throat slit, was later recovered from a nearby village. After Gowhar’s killing, BJP leaders in south Kashmir had been asked to take extra precautions. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for Gowhar’s killing.