Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday termed the police officer lynching incident as shameful. J&K Police Deputy SP Mohammed Ayub Pandith of Security was beaten to death by a mob on Thursday night for shooting at crowd after they stopped him from taking pictures outside a mosque.Â
Attended the wreath laying ceremony for the officer, J&K CM Mufti said, "Our police is one of the best police force in country, showing maximum restraint because they feel they're dealing with their own people."
"Agar ye suluk karenge inka, agar inka (police) sabar jawab dega to phir shayad purana waqt na aaye road pe gypsy dekhke logon ko bhagna pade (If people will continue this attitude, police will lose its patience and then they will have to run at the sight of police van)," warned Mufti.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested two people and a third person has been identified.
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#12:13 PM: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweets, "Deeply disturbed & condemn the brutal act at Nowhatta.Mob violence & public lynching is outside the parameters of our values & religion...."
Two people have been arrested, third person identified. They will have to face the law: J&K DGP SP Vaid pic.twitter.com/4Ab6bj1CCY
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017
Srinagar: Wreath laying ceremony of Deputy SP Mohammed Ayub Pandith of Security beaten to death by mob in J&K's Nowhatta last night pic.twitter.com/gtrmDY0xF0
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017
Isse bada sharmnaak vakya koi ho nahin sakta: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti on Deputy SP Mohammed Ayub Pandith beaten to death by mob in Nowhatta pic.twitter.com/sOS8NDCQH4
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017
Our police is one of the best police force in country, showing maximum restraint because they feel they're dealing with their own ppl:J&K CM
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017
The deputy superintendent of police was stripped naked and stoned to death by an irate mob after he allegedly opened fire at a group of people, who caught him clicking pictures near a mosque in dow the town area in the early hours on Friday.
The police officer identified as Mohammed Ayoub Pandit was on duty when the mob attacked him, a police spokesman said.
DGP S P Vaid termed the killing as sad and unfortunate. “The official was killed by the mob while he was performing his duties. It’s a very sad and unfortunate incident,†the DGP said.
Earlier police sources had said that Pandit was seen moving around by people near Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area at 0030 hours.
He was allegedly clicking pictures of people while they were coming out of the mosque. They said people tried to catch Pandit who allegedly fired several shots from his pistol, injuring three persons.
The irate mob then caught hold of him and stripped him naked before stoning him to death, the sources said. His body was taken to police control room for identification and other legal procedures, they said adding the situation in old city has turned tense following the incident.
The mob went on a rampage targeting empty security pickets erected in the area.Police reinforcement were rushed in to restore normalcy in the area.
Muslims across Kashmir are observing Shab-e-Qadr (the night of power) with night-long prayers and supplications being made inside the mosques and shrines of the valley.
Authorities have already announced restrictions on movement of people in seven police station areas of the city as a precautionary measure.
The restrictions were announced to maintain law and order as separatists had called for protests after Friday prayers against killing of a civilian during protests in Kakapora area of Pulwama District yesterday.