Raj Kumar Thappa, 55, the Additional District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, who was killed in the artillery shelling by Pakistan early morning Saturday was a 2001-batch officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services.
A well-liked and popular officer, he was very active on the ground and known to be the main face of the Rajouri district administration in any emergency.
Thappa, who was a 1989-batch graduate of MBBS from Government Medical College, , was wounded critically after he was hit by splinters, following a shell striking the window of his house.
Sources said his family is based in .
Expressing his shock at Thappa’s death, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X: “Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district & attended the online meeting I chaired… I’ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace.”
Locals remember that Thappa was the first to reach Badhaal to take stock of the situation following mysterious deaths of civilians in the town, with 17 dying between December 7, 2024, and January 19 this year.
The post of ADDC was created to have a dedicated officer in the district administration especially to take care of development works initiated by the government. Generally ADDCs do not have much public dealing, but Thappa, officials said, was very active and well-connected with the people of Rajouri.
After accompanying J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary during his tour of border areas of Rajouri district on Friday, he had attended via video-conferencing a meeting chaired by Abdullah, giving a briefing on the situation in the district and measures taken, including for evacuating people from vulnerable border areas and arrangements for their stay at safer places.
