Posted on 04/21/2004 11:01:29 AM PDT by milestogo
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Jammu, Apr 21 (IANS) Separatist guerrillas chopped off the ears of two village elders in Jammu and Kashmir to warn people against voting in the general election, police said.
The grisly incident occurred in a remote and hilly village in Udhampur district, about 150 km north of here.
The guerrillas abducted village elders Hajji Amma Kala and Missruddin from Kalwa village late Tuesday evening and chopped off their ears after severely beating them.
The militants then took the elders back to Kalwa and showed their chopped ears to terrified residents, warning they could face a worse fate if they participated in polls to the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat to be held May 10, police officials said.
The guerrillas also took away with them election material of different political parties, including posters.
Kalwa and adjoining areas like Mahore, part of the Udhampur constituency, are infested with militants.
Separatist groups fighting to end Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir have called for a boycott of elections to six Lok Sabha seats in the state spread over four phases.
The first phase of polls to two constituencies Tuesday was marked by widespread violence that left three people dead and seven injured.
Owl_Eagle
" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"
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