Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 30: Two school children were killed in a powerful blast, triggered either by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or a grenade, at village Bruen in Dera Mangota area, about five kilometers from Thanna Mandi in Rajouri district this morning triggering wide spread protests from the people, who took the bodies to Thanna Mandi town demanding an inquiry into the incident.
The victims, who happened to be brother-sister, were returning to their house from Government School Dara, when they picked up an explosive device and then threw it leading to a powerful explosion killing both of them on spot, official sources said.
The victims have been identified as nine years old Shazeena Kousar and Khursheed Mehmood, 6, children of late Lal Hussain, residents of Bruen.
Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo told the Excelsior that he has ordered an inquiry into the entire incident and asked IGP Jammu Dilbagh Singh to submit report within two days for further action. He said senior police officers of Rajouri were directed to rush to the spot, talk to the agitated people and pacify the situation. The situation was brought under control tonight, he added.
Official sources said the brother-sister were returning to their house at village Bruen in Dera Mangota area of Thanna Mandi from Government School Dara at about 11.30 am when they reportedly saw an object lying along side the road.
As there were no witnesses to the incident, sources said, the children appeared to have picked up the device and then threw it or fiddled with it leading to a blast of very high intensity that not only killed the two children on spot but also blew body of the girl into pieces. The bodies were blown up and thrown quite a distance away with impact of the blast.
“The blast might have been caused either by an IED or a grenade, planted by the militants to target security forces, who had a picket nearby”, sources said.
Army spokesman SN Acharya said an explosive device caused the blast.
Soon after the explosion, civil and police administration including SDPO Thanna Mandi Mujeeb-ul-Rehman, Assistant Commissioner Sachin Singh and Tehsildar Farooq Khan rushed to the spot. Police also called explosive experts to the spot, which collected splinters to ascertain nature of the device that caused the powerful blast and the death of two children.
However, a large number of people gathered at the spot from surrounding villages including Allal, Dara and Daroon and started marching towards Thanna Mandi along with dead bodies of the school children. The civil and police administration tried to persuade them but to no avail.
The protesters kept the bodies at Shahdara Morh in Thanna Mandi town at 5.30 pm and held a massive demonstration demanding an inquiry into the incident as they claimed that there was “foul play” behind the blast. All shops in Thanna Mandi town were closed during the protest while traffic was also suspended.
The protesters were shouting slogans demanding an inquiry into the incident, stern action against the accused and adequate compensation to the family of the victims.
DIG Rajouri-Poonch range Danish Rana and Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Sougat Biswas rushed to the spot and talked to the protesters. They assured the people that a three members Committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri would be constituted for a detailed inquiry into the incident.
“The inquiry committee would meet the people and clear their all doubts”, sources said, adding that if any one was found guilty in the incident he would be punished as per the law.
The police and civil administration also assured adequate compensation to family of the victims and other necessary facilities required by them. They assured full justice to family of the victims.
“Following assurances by top officers of civil and police administration, the people agreed to lift their dharna at 7.30 pm”, sources said, adding that they handed over bodies of the children, which had been kept at the dharna site, to police for post-mortem, which would be conducted tomorrow morning.
Police have kept the bodies in the hospital. After post-mortem, the bodies would be handed over to their family tomorrow morning for burial. The protesters returned to their villages in Thanna Mandi late in the evening.
Meanwhile, police have called forensic experts to ascertain nature of the explosive device that killed the school going children.
“Nothing could be said at their stage but definitely it was a very powerful explosive device, which could be either an IED or a grenade”, sources said, adding the children had either fiddled with it or threw it after picking up the device, leading to the explosion.
Police have registered a case in the blast and started investigations.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has announced ex-gratia of Rs two lakh and job to eligible member of the family. On his instructions, Minister for Forests, Mian Altaf is visiting the family tomorrow to offer condolences.
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