Srinagar:
The terrorist attack on migrant workers at a brick kiln in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district has claimed two lives, raising fresh concerns about the safety of non-local labourers in the Valley. Among those killed was 24-year-old Deepak Ratray, a resident of Chhattisgarh, who had moved nearly 2,000 kilometres from home about a year ago in search of a better livelihood.
The Attack
Terrorists opened fire on non-local labourers at Brick Kiln No. 70-B in the Kelam area of Kulgam late Friday evening, before fleeing the scene. Deepak Ratray was declared dead on arrival at the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Anantnag, while a second worker, identified as Bhupendra (also referred to as Bopinder in some reports), 28, also from Chhattisgarh, was critically injured and rushed to hospital. Despite medical efforts, Bhupendra succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning, taking the death toll in the attack to two.
A Life Built Far From Home
Deepak Ratray, son of Uma Shankar Ratray, hailed from a village in Chhattisgarh, where he grew up largely under the care of his maternal uncle while completing his education. About a year ago, he had moved to Jammu and Kashmir along with family in search of employment, working at the brick kiln to support his loved ones and build a more secure future. According to his family, he had been married only about a year before his death.
Village in Mourning
News of Deepak’s death reached his family late Friday night, plunging the household and the wider village into grief. Residents have strongly condemned the attack and demanded strict action against those responsible.
Government Response and Compensation
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the killings as a “dastardly” and “senseless” act, announcing ex-gratia relief of ₹10 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased, in addition to ₹6 lakh each already committed by the district administration — bringing the total relief to ₹16 lakh per victim. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also condemned the attack and directed security forces to intensify operations to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Investigation Points to Pahalgam Attack Mastermind
According to security officials, the attack is being linked to Sajid Jutt, a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba operative also suspected to be behind the earlier Pahalgam attack, who is believed to have used his familiarity with the area to plan the Kulgam strike, reportedly carried out by motorcycle-borne terrorists armed with AK-47 rifles. Security agencies believe the attack is part of a wider pattern of targeted killings aimed at spreading fear among migrant workers and disrupting normalcy in the Valley, with a police officer killed in a similar attack in nearby Anantnag less than two weeks earlier.
Note: This report is based on statements from officials and family members, and information available at the time of publication. The investigation into the attack remains ongoing.
