- KINS Desk
Srinagar, July 18 (KINS): In a shocking incident in South Kashmir’s Qazigund area, a 25-year-old man who was set to be married next month was killed by a suspected thief impersonating a security forces official during a fake midnight search operation on Thursday.
The victim, Zahid Ahmad Banday, was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon during what turned out to be a staged raid at his residence. The accused, identified as Naseer Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of a nearby village, reportedly entered the house dressed in a security forces uniform, carrying a pistol, a dagger, and a walkie-talkie to pass himself off as an armed forces operative.
According to locals, Sheikh claimed that security forces had cordoned off the area based on inputs about suspected militants and ordered all family members to surrender their mobile phones. “We thought it was a genuine operation as such cordons are common in the Valley,” said a relative of the deceased, as per news agency KINS.
However, Zahid became suspicious when the impersonator began rifling through household belongings. A confrontation ensued, during which the accused stabbed Zahid and attempted to escape by jumping from a second-floor window, resulting in a broken leg. He was caught by locals and later handed over to the police.
Eyewitnesses suspect the involvement of more individuals, saying that it would have been difficult for a single person to orchestrate such a deceptive operation alone.
Police have taken the accused into custody, and an investigation is underway to ascertain whether he acted alone or was part of a larger criminal gang.(KINS)
