Vijay Kumar, the bank manager at the Kulgam branch of Elaqahi Dehati Bank who was shot dead by suspected terrorists in the Arreh area of the district on Thursday, 2 June, was cremated in his village in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, on Friday, 3 June.
His family was inconsolable when his mortal remains reached their village on Friday morning.
Thousands of people from his village teared up and expressed anger about the latest incident in the Valley, which is in the midst of another surge of militant attacks as nine people, including civilians – locals and non-locals – and security personnel, have been killed since 7 May.
The villagers raised patriotic slogans while bidding him a final farewell and demanded that he be given the status of a martyr.
Meanwhile, neither the district collector nor the district SP attended his funeral. Amit Chachan, the local MLA of the area, did not attend his funeral as he was busy with the preparations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Even MP Nihalchand was absent.
More Details
Vijay's wife, Manojkumari, and a few others reached the Bhagwan village with his body at around 7 am on Friday. The grief-stricken parents struggled to hold back their tears on seeing their son's body.
Shortly after, Vijay's last rites were performed. Thousands of villagers, along with his younger brother Anil and other family members, reached the crematorium to bid their last farewell to Vijay.
His father, Om Prakash Beniwal, was inconsolable when Vijay's body was placed on the pyre. He hugged his son for one last time, weeping uncontrollably. The onlookers also teared up after looking at the condition of his father.
Vijay Kumar had moved to Kashmir four years ago and had joined his posting in Kulgam only last week. He used to live in the Valley with his wife of three and a half months, having been married on 10 February.
"He had gotten married on 10 February and went there after ten days. My daughter-in-law was also calling us there. They were planning to return in July," said his distraught father on Thursday.
About the Incident
A terrorist, who was wearing a mask and holding a bag, had entered the bank on Thursday morning. Standing at the bank's main door, he took out a gun and fired two to three shots at Vijay, who was sitting at a desk near the entrance.
The terrorist fled immediately after shooting Vijay, who was critically wounded in the attack and shifted to a hospital, where the doctors declared him dead.
An organisation named Kashmir Freedom Fighters (KFF) later claimed responsibility for killing Vijay. Wasim Mir, the spokesperson of the terrorist organization, said in a letter, "Anyone involved in the demographic change of Kashmir will meet the same fate. So it's an eye-opener for all those non-locals who are living in a fool's paradise that the Modi-led government will settle them here. It's nothing but an illusion for them, and they should now understand the reality that it would cost them their lives (sic)."
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