Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police late on Thursday night released two pictures of three bike-borne men who are suspected to have killed Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari, and sought the public’s help in identifying them.
The three militants were caught on a CCTV camera, the police said. The two pictures showed the three men riding a motorcycle. The attackers had their faces covered.
“In connection with today’s terror attack at Srinagar, police requests general public to identify the suspects for the purpose of the police investigation,” a statement read.
The name of the person providing any clue or information regarding the suspects will be kept confidential, it said.
Shujaat Bukhari and his two personal security officers (PSOs) were shot dead by terrorists outside the newspaper’s office in the heart of Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital on Thursday, police officials said.
Fifty-three-year-old Bukhari, who had worked as the state correspondent for national daily The Hindu for several years, was shot dead soon after he boarded his car from his office located at Press Enclave in the heart of the city centre — Lal Chowk.
Hours before he was killed, Bukhari was steadfastly defending his work on microblogging site Twitter when he was accused by some Delhi-based journalists of biased coverage.
"...In #Kashmir we have done Journalism with pride and will continue to highlight what happens on ground," he had said in the tweet.
As the news of his cold-blooded killing spread, social media reacted with shock and disgust over the cowardly act.
An anguished Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti broke down while denouncing the “mindless” killing of Bukhari as she recalled her meeting with the renowned journalist a few days ago.
Mehbooba said in a message that she was shocked and saddened by Bukhari's "sudden demise".
“The scourge of terror has reared its ugly head on the eve of Eid. I strongly condemn this act of mindless violence & pray for his soul to rest in peace. My deepest condolences to his family,” the chief minister said on Twitter.
Home minister Rajnath Singh said he was extremely pained by Bukhari’s death and called it an attempt to silence the saner voices of Kashmir. He said he did not have an iota of doubt that terrorists killed Bukhari.
“The killing of @RisingKashmir editor, Shujaat Bukhari is an act of cowardice. It is an attempt to silence the saner voices of Kashmir. He was a courageous and fearless journalist. Extremely shocked & pained at his death. My thoughts and prayers are with his bereaved family,” he tweeted.
Bukhari is survived by his wife and one son and a daughter.
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