Journalist Shujaat Bukhari, Editor of 'Rising Kashmir' shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside the office in Srinagar
In a horrific incident, veteran journalist and Editor of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari was shot dead in front of his newspaper's Srinagar office by unidentified gunmen. A PSO of Bukhari was also shot along with him, police officials said on Thursday. Bukhari, who was in his 50s, was leaving his office in Press Enclave in the city centre Lal Chowk for an iftar party when he was shot, officials said.
While one of the personal security officers (PSO) guarding him was killed, another policeman and a civilian were injured, they added.
The police officials say the killers were waiting for Shujaat Bukhari to come out of the building and it appeared to be a planned attack. It was not clear, however, who was responsible for the attack, Jammu and Kashmir police chief SP Vaid told NDTV.
"Today at about 7:30 pm when he was coming out of his office and boarding his car, three terrorists, who had come on a motorcycle, opened fire. Two of his PSOs (personal security officers) was also hit... They were shot before they could react," he said.
The condition of the two injured in the shooting, is critical, which comes a day ahead of Eid, they said. Taking to the micro-blogging site, Twitter, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti shared her grief over the incident and said that she was shocked and saddened by Bukhari's "sudden demise".
“Shocked & deeply saddened by the sudden demise of Shujaat Bukhari. The scourge of terror has reared its ugly head on the eve of Eid. I strongly condemn this act of mindless violence & pray for his soul to rest in peace. My deepest condolences to his family,” she tweeted.
Terrorism has hit a new low with Shujaat’s killing. That too, on the eve of Eid. We must unite against forces seeking to undermine our attempts to restore peace. Justice will be done. https://t.co/8oCNXan13L
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) June 14, 2018
“Terrorism has hit a new low with Shujaat’s killing. That too, on the eve of Eid. We must unite against forces seeking to undermine our attempts to restore peace. Justice will be done,” she tweeted further.
Calling Mr Bukhari "a voice of moderation and a courageous, big-hearted editor", the Editors' Guild said his killing "is a new low in a rapidly deteriorating environment for media practitioners in Kashmir, in particular, and in the country in general".
First published: 15 June 2018, 10:56 IST