Jammu and Kashmir: Gloom grips Kulgam village after women teacher's murder

Jammu: A pall of gloom gripped the village of a woman teacher in Samba district of Jammu region after she was shot dead by terrorists in Kulgam district of the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday.

Rajni Bala, 36, sustained injuries when terrorists fired at her in Gopalpora area of Kulgam where she was posted as a teacher.

She was critically injured and rushed to a hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

The residents of village Nanke Chak began gathering at the residence of Rajni Bala to mourn her demise as news about her killing spread like a wildfire.

According to her brother-in-law Vijay Kumar, the family was requesting Rajni and her husband to move to Jammu but they were not agreeing to it unless shifted by the government.

Notably, both Rajni Bala and her husband Raj Kumar were engaged as teachers around 13 years ago under a reservation package by the then government.

“We were telling them that the situation in the Valley is not good but they expressed helplessness and insisted on continuing at the place of posting,” he stated.

Rajni’s father-in-law Ram Lal said: “We kept requesting them to take up the matter at the right quarters and get posted somewhere in Jammu region. Security arrangements are the prerogatives of the government and it is up to them to assess the vulnerability of the situation.”

The slain teacher is survived by her husband, daughter and in-laws family in Samba district.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha called the attack on Rajni Bala a "most reprehensible act" and vowed to give an "unforgettable response for dastardly attack”. (UNI)