1 killed as violence mars J&K by-polls

Palhalan, April 24:

One person was killed today and 23 injured in grenade attacks on crowded polling booths and a police vehicle during by-elections in Kashmir, police said.

Three voters and an election official were injured in a blast at Palhalan, witnesses said, adding that four policemen were injured afterwards by an angry crowd who blamed them for the grenade attack.

A local resident Nazir Ahmed said the attack came because voters in the northern Kashmir locality favoured the opposition National Conference Party.

A senior policeman on the scene however denied security forces were involved in the attack.