Continuing killings of innocent civilians, the terrorists on Tuesday evening lobbed a grenade on a newly-opened wine shop in North Kashmir's Baramulla district. A 35-year-old man lost his life in the attack while three others sustained severe injuries in the blast.
According to police, terrorists hurled a grenade inside a newly-opened wine shop in Baramulla. Four employees of the said shop got injured and one among them succumbed to his injuries.
"At about 8.30 on Tuesday evening, two terrorists riding on a bike stopped near the newly opened wine shop at Dewan Bagh Baramulla. The pillion rider wearing a Burka walked to the window of the said wine shop and dropped a grenade inside the said wine shop through the porthole window and thereafter fled away on the bike from the spot," the police said.
In this terror incident, four employees of the said shop received splinter injuries. All the injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital however, one among the injured identified as Ranjit Singh son of Kishan Lal resident of Bakra Rajouri succumbed to his injuries.
The other injured employees have been identified as Govardhan Singh son of Bijendra Singh, Ravi Kumar son of Sh Kartar Singh, both residents of Billawar Kathua, and Govind Singh son of Gurdev Singh resident of Kangra Rajouri. Among the injured Govind Singh has been referred to Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment.
Senior Police officers immediately reached the terror crime spot. The area has been cordoned and a search in the area is going on.
Police have registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of law and an investigation is in progress. Officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of this terror crime.
Six new liquor sale points opened in Kashmir after three decades
The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government has opened new liquor sale points at different locations in the Kashmir Valley where, since 1991, terror outfits have declared an unofficial ban on its sale and consumption.
The excise department has identified 51 new locations, 45 in different parts of the Jammu division and six in Kashmir Valley. New liquor sale points are opened in tourist destinations of the Kashmir Valley.
In 2020, the J&K government announced opening liquor sale points at different locations in the Kashmir Valley. The Excise Department had identified new 183 locations, 116 in Jammu and 67 in the Kashmir Valley, for the sale of liquor but the same proposal was turned down by Finance Department without giving any reason.
Terrorist groups imposed a ban on liquor in Kashmir
Since 1991 terror groups have declared an unofficial ban on liquor in Kashmir while J&K UT is officially not a "dry region". Liquor vends were closed in Kashmir after "Allah Tigers" -a terror outfit issued a blanket ban on its sale and consumption, soon after an eruption of terrorism in the region.
Ironically in the year 2017, it was all due to threats of terror outfits and separatist groups that the then PDP-BJP government was forced to revive its decision of opening a 'duty-paid' liquor shop even at Srinagar airport.
In an effort to boost tourism, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) floated a tender for a duty-paid liquor shop at the Srinagar airport in the year 2017. Fearing reaction from radical groups, the then PDP-BJP government had rejected the proposal.
