Local authorities to go ahead with class 10 board exams despite curfew in Kishtwar, Doda

Local authorities will go ahead with class 10 board examination as per schedule on Saturday despite an ongoing curfew in Kishtwar and Doda townships that was imposed following the killing of a senior BJP leader and his brother by suspected militants, officials said.

District development commissioner Angrez Singh Rana said the students appearing for class 10 annual board examination, which began on October 30, have been asked to report to their respective centres using their admit card, which would be treated as a curfew pass.

"We have already made announcements in the curfew-bound areas through public address system and other mediums to ensure that no student misses the paper," he said.

An indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of Kishtwar and Doda districts on Thursday night following the killing of BJP state secretary Anil Parihar, 52, and his brother, Ajeet Parihar, 55, by suspected militants.

"The curfew continues without any relaxation as a precautionary measure in view of the tense situation," Rana told PTI.

He said the district administration will review the situation later in the day to decide about the relaxation.

Besides Kishtwar town, the curfew is in force in several sensitive areas, including Paddar in Kishtwar and Bhadarwah and Doda townships in Doda district, as the killing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state secretary and his elder brother triggered massive protests across Jammu region.

The authorities have already suspended internet services in the curfew-bound areas, while the internet speed was slowed down in the rest of the division, including winter capital Jammu.

The Army also staged a flag march in the sensitive areas to help the district administration in Kishtwar to maintain law and order.

On Thursday, the Parihar brothers were walking towards their home in Parihar mohalla through a dark lane in Tapal Mohalla when they were fired upon from a close range by suspected militants around 8.40 pm, officials said.

The assailants were apparently waiting for the brothers to return home, they said.