Muslims on Friday helped perform last rites of a Hindu who was on leave to attend first death anniversary of his brother killed by militants last year in Kakran area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

As per reports reaching Balbir Singh (55), son of Surinder Singh, who was working in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) died last evening by cardiac arrest at his home in Karkan area of Kulgam.

He was posted at Amritsar but was on leave to attend death Anniversary of his brother who was killed by militants last year.

Balbir’s family is the only Hindu Rajput family living in the village, and today his friends and the neighbours from the Muslim community took it upon themselves to help perform the last rites.

They also shouldered his coffin and arranged wood for the cremation. “He was one of us. We never thought of him as a Rajput Hindu. We arranged everything needed for the cremation,” said Abdul Jabbar, a local resident.

Meanwhile, officials of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) paid floral tributes to Balbir.