Stone-pelters attack K'taka judge vacationing in J-K

Days after a resident of Chennai died in a stone pelting incident in Jammu and Kashmir, a similar incident has surfaced where the vehicle in which the District Judge of a Bengaluru Family Court was travelling in was pelted with stones.

B. S. Bharathi, along with her family, was on vacation in the state when on May 7, their car was pelted with stones near Narbal. Thereafter, during their return from Gulmarg on May 8, they were attacked again.

However, no one sustained any injuries in the incidents.

"My family and I went to J and K on a holiday. On May 7, stones were pelted on our car near Narbal and again on May 8, while returning from Gulmarg. We escaped unhurt because of the driver who responded quickly and drove us away from the spot," said Bharathi.

On Monday, R. Thirumani, the 21-year-old Chennai resident, succumbed to his injuries in a Srinagar hospital after sustaining fatal injuries to his forehead and his nose as the car he and his family were travelling in was pelted with stones on the Srinagar-Gulmarg Road near Narbal.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had later met the family members, offering her condolences and expressing grief over the incident.

The rampant incidents of stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir have become a matter of concern for the state administration, with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman condemning the same, saying that although the Armed Forces cannot be held responsible for being firm with terrorists, it is extremely important to ensure safer movement of tourists to restore normalcy.

The Director-General of Police, J and K, Shesh Paul Vaid termed the incident as "very unfortunate".

Earlier on May 2, a bus carrying school students of was attacked by stone-pelters in Zawoora village of Shopian district.