Srinagar: Police have arrested an injured youth related to the killing of a deputy superintendent rank officer.
Muhammad Ayoub Pandith, Dy SP, was killed when he opened fire on a group of people outside Jamia Masjid Srinagar during the intervening night of June 22 and 23.
Muslims across Kashmir were commemorating Shab-e-Qadr (night long prayers during holy Ramzan when it is believed that almighty Allah sent down the holy Qur’an to mankind).
Pandith, who was in civvies, was reportedly taking pictures of the faithful who were observing the Shab.
He was accompanied by two more officials who managed to flee from the volatile area.
After news reached police that a dead body was lying in Nowhatta area near Jamia Masjid which is situated in Old Srinagar, reinforcements were rushed and body was taken into custody. Initially, the J&K police had denied that any of their men was on duty around the historic Jamia Masjid, however, later it turned out to be the body of Dy SP Pandith, a resident of Nowpora area of Srinagar.
Pandith has left his home around 8:30 pm assuring his family that he will return “soon”.
He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
During the melee, Dy SP Pandith opened fire on the people injuring three, one of them is Danish Mir.
They were rushed to SMHS hospital Srinagar for treatment.
The police have said that seven were identified of whom five have been arrested and their questioning is going on. A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the death of the cop.
However, on Saturday, family of one of the injured youths reached the Press enclave here to reveal the details it knew.
Danish Mir (21) is a class twelfth drop out who runs a fast-food shop in Nawakadal.
Family of Danish Mir in Press Enclave Lal Chowk on June 24, 2017. (FPK Photo by special arrangement)
According to Danish’s mother, Haseena Mir, he accompanied his parents to Jamia Masjid last Thursday evening for night long prayers.
Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, leads prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid.
Danish’s father, Mir Ab Rahim, is a retired employee and his single brother works in Pahalgam.
The Mir family lives at Rathpora in Eidgah locality of Srinagar.
“Danish went out to visit his paternal aunty who lives at Pandaan, not far from Jamia Masjid,” his mother claimed. “However, he was shot in leg outside when he tried to see why a huge crowd had assembled.”
“Some unknown people rushed him to hospital.”
He was hit by bullet in both of legs.
At SMHS Hospital, she added, police men in civvies sought his custody on Friday afternoon. “The family of DY SP Pandith will kill him if they catch hold of Danish,” Danish’s mother quoted police as having told them.
“The police assured us of Danish’s safety,” she said.
His mother said that police party was from Kak Sarai police station and came around 3:30 pm.
Haseena said that her husband allowed police to take custody of Danish. “He was taken to PCR where he was given treatment as well and we were asked to spare one attendant for him,” she said. “But later in the evening, police told all of us to leave PCR.”
