Wanted for murder during 2013 Kishtwar riots, J&K BJP leader surfaces at Union minister's house

Hari Krishan alias Kasooru, wanted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for a murder during the 2013 Kishtwar riots, and declared an absconder by court, surfaced at the official Delhi residence of Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh. On Friday, Krishan, a BJP leader from Paddar surfaced in a photograph taken at a meeting where he can be seen with Singh and sitting BJP MLAs of Kishtwar, Doda and Bhaderwah in Jammu and Kashmir, reports IBNLive. [caption id=“attachment_2673660” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Dr Jitendra Singh (centre) with Hari Krishan alias Kasooru (extreme right) at his house. Image courtesy: @absar700/Twitter[/caption] Kasooru and nine others are accused of murdering 52-year-old Lassa Khandey during communal clashes in Kishtwar in 2013. Khandey was accompanying his injured son and brother in an ambulance to Gulabgarh. A mob had attacked the ambulance en route and abducted Khandey. His body was found by police next day, reports  Indian Express. “We meet a large number of delegations daily and many of the people are not known to us,” Singh said, denying any connection with Kasooru. Even as authorities “know” whereabouts of Krishan, he has not been arrested allegedly due to political pressure from the saffron party, reports Kashmir Monitor. After the 2013 riots, following the course of investigation and account of eyewitnesses, Krishan’s name surfaced and a case against him under section 302 of RPC was registered but the arrest was never made. On 9 August, 2013, communal clashes broke out after Eid prayers. A minor scuffle between policemen, assigned to a local BJP leader, and a Muslim group led to a communal frenzy in the town. In the violence that ensued, three people were killed and more than 30 were injured. Property worth millions was reduced to ashes and the Army had to step in to put an end to the violence. Krishan was not the only one marred with controversy. Then Jammu and Kashmir Minister Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo resigned in August, 2013, but maintained his innocence over the Kitshtwar clashes, pending the outcome of a judicial inquiry ordered by the state government. In March, 2015, a commission looking into the riots had also indicted him and several top officers . With inputs from agencies