Hostage Killed by Kashmir Separatists; 2 Still Being Held
Muslim separatist kidnapers killed the Hindu chief executive of a state-run watch factory Tuesday after the government rejected their demands to free three jailed militants, halt searches and end a curfew, police said.
There was no word on the fate of two Muslim hostages also held by the Kashmir Students Liberation Front.
Police said the bullet-riddled body of H. L. Khera was found on a road in front of Srinagar’s fire station, near the militant stronghold neighborhood of Batmaloo, about an hour after expiration of a 2 p.m. deadline set by the abductors for acceptance of their demands.
Khera, a 48-year-old Hindu, was the general manager of state-run Hindustan Machine Tools, which owns a watch factory in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir state, 400 miles north of New Delhi. He was seized separately from the other two hostages.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
