Teacher, whose house saw encounter, killed ‘by ultras’

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 18

A Shopian schoolteacher, Aijaz Ahmad Lone,  in whose house three militants were killed in a gunfight last week, was found dead at Wathoo village on Wednesday, his throat slit, several kilometres from his home at Gatipora village. 

A note found next to his body alleged he was an informer for the security agencies. Shopian Superintendent of Police  Shriram Dinkar said they had registered a case of murder.

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Initial investigation points to the role of militants. “We are working meticulously on the case. The role of militants and several over-ground workers is suspected,” the SP said. It is the second such killing this month. Earlier this week, militants had killed a local PDP leader.

The handwritten note claimed Lone had been killed to avenge the death of Hizbul-associated militants Zahid Mir, Irfan Abdullah and Asif Ahmad Paul, who were killed in an encounter at Lone’s house on Tuesday last. The police had then said it had launched a search operation in Gatipora village following a “tip-off”. 

The note, signed by “Hizbul Mujahideen’s ZIA Squad”,  an acronym for the killed militants, called it a “beginning” and warned: “We have the names of everyone who provides information to the Army and the police.” A cellphone too was found near Lone’s body.