In a tragic incident on Monday, a 22 year-old tourist named Thirumani from Chennai, Tamil Nadu who got caught in a stone pelting incident succumbed to his injuries in the Narbal area of Budgam district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to TNM, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police, Vaid said, “There were two to three vehicles that came under a stone pelting bout today in Narbal area on the way to Gulmarg. So two to three people got injured.”
According to reports, Thirumani was admitted to the Sher e Kashmir Institute of Medical Science with injuries to his nose and forehead. He was in a coma, according to reports. Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti is reported to have travelled to the hospital.
The CM was seen consoling Thirumani's father at the hospital. In a video taken from the hospital, the father can be heard telling the CM, "He came only yesterday. He was in the vehicle, people were throwing stones. It hit him here (points at head). It had hit the ear. He lost a lot of blood."
The CM reportedly said, "I am terribly sorry for your loss. This incident is shameful. The miscreants are trying to defame Kashmir. We will not spare the culprits."
As per initial details, Thirumani hails from Chennai. The stone pelting incident happened at the Srinagar Gulmarg road and the tourist vehicle that Thirumani was traveling in came under attack from stone pelters.
In a late night tweet on Monday, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote, “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 police confirmed that the stone pelting incident that happened during an rally against the government around 11 am this morning also injured a young woman. It is reported the woman is a resident from Handwara.
The incident comes a week after tourists from Kerala were caught up in similar violence in the valley on April 30.
The group of tourists from Kerala were traveling in tempos and came under attack from stone pelters in Anantnag district of Kashmir. The incident took place near Ashmuqam in Pahalgam town of Anantnag district on Monday, April 30 at around 8pm. A total of 47 people were in four tempos at the time of the incident. Seven people suffered injuries on the head and were taken to different sub-district hospitals in Seer, Anantnag district. Two of the injured got three stitches on the head, while the rest were discharged after examination.