J&K: Tourist killed in stone pelting

A 22-year-old tourist from Tamil Nadu died here this evening when a mob went on the rampage near Narbal on the outskirts of the city, police said.

R Thirumani, a resident of Chennai, suffered head injuries after being hit by a stone during the rampage in the morning, a police official said.

The tourist was taken to the SKIMS hospital at Soura, where he succumbed to injuries, the official added.

A case was registered and investigations have been taken up in the matter, the official said.

On the killing of the tourist, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said, "My head hangs in shame."

"It is very sad and heartbreaking", Mehbooba said after meeting family of tourist killed in Srinagar.

Later, Opposition NC Working President Omar Abdullah said, "We’ve killed a tourist by throwing stones at the vehicle he was travelling in. Let’s try and wrap our heads around the fact that we stoned a tourist, a guest, to death while we glorify these stone pelters & their methods."

The former chief minister prayed for the recovery of a woman injured the stone pelting.

"I’m also pained to know that among the injured from the stone pelting in Narbal is a young woman from Handwara in North Kashmir. I pray she & the others injured make a quick recovery," Abdullah tweeted.