Police Officer Beaten To Death By Mob Outside Srinagar's Jamia Masjid

As a precautionary measure, the administration has ordered restrictions on movement of people in areas in Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar under seven police stations beginning Friday morning

SRINAGAR: 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Officer Ayub Pandith was posted outside mosque, was attacked by mob
2. Police say he may have opened fire in self-defence, 3 people were injured
3. Was beaten to death; security reinforcements have been rushed to the area

 An officer of the Jammu and Kashmir police was beaten to death by a mob outside the Jamia Masjid in state capital Srinagar during congregational prayers at the mosque in the old city late on Thursday evening. 

Deputy Superintendent Mohammed Ayub Pandith was posted on security duty outside the mosque, when he was attacked. The officer, the police said, may have opened fire as a last resort in self-defence. Three people have been injured. His service revolver is missing.

Since Deputy Superintendent Pandith was not in uniform, the police only identified him hours later when his family called his mobile phone. It is unclear if he was accompanied by any other policemen or not. Police said he was a local and belonged to the same neighbourhood.

"Another police officer sacrificed his life in line of duty. DySP Mohammed Ayub Pandith of Security attacked and beaten to death by a mob at Nowhatta last night," said a police statement.

A wreath laying ceremony will be held in Srinagar's District Police Lines at 11 am before the funeral.

Security reinforcements have been rushed to the area.

The fresh round of street violence in the old city came just a day ahead of a call for protests from Kashmiri separatist leaders against the death of a protester in police action in Kashmir's Pulwama district when stone throwers tried to distract security forces during an operation.

The police later said the protester killed in the firing had a track record of stone throwing. Three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were killed in the six-hour long operation and an Army officer injured.

As a precautionary measure, the administration has ordered restrictions on movement of people in areas under seven police stations beginning Friday morning.

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