Day after, slain PDP worker’s house set ablaze in Shopian

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 17

The house of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worker Mohammad Ramzan Sheikh, where a local Hizbul militant was killed last evening, was set ablaze by a mob at Homhuma village in Shopian this afternoon. Ramzan was buried earlier in the day. 

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

  “The miscreants entered the house as mourners and later set it ablaze. The family was rescued,” a police officer said Promising stern action, state Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid claimed the mob was instigated by anti-national elements and “ground workers” of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Locals claimed despite apprehensions of a revenge attack, the family was not provided security. But Shopian Superintendent of Police AS Dinka said security personnel “deployed near the house” had rushed to save the family. 

While the police maintained Hizbul’s Showkat Falai, who reportedly joined militancy last year, was hit by a bullet during a scuffle, locals alleged somebody had hit him on the head, leading to his death. The militant’s body was buried without a postmortem this afternoon.

 Three militants had on Monday barged into the house of the PDP worker, a former sarpanch, around 8 pm. Besides his wife and mother, his four children were inside. “The family put up resistance. A scuffle ensued and one of the militants opened fire, killing Ramzan and his own associate Showkat. The militants then fled, taking away Shokwat’s rifle,” the SP said. 

Ramzan was taken to a hospital in Zainpora where he was declared “brought dead”.

The militant’s body was carried by locals to his house, 4 km away.

4 soldiers assaulted

Srinagar: At least four soldiers were beaten up on the suspicion of being braid-choppers in two separate incidents in Kashmir on Tuesday. Three Territorial Army personnel were thrashed and their private car was set ablaze in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, while one soldier was beaten up in Kupwara district. He was rescued from the mob by colleagues and the police.