Unknown gunmen Wednesday shot dead a man who the army said had deserted the force last year.
A police official said the gunmen fired at Showkat AhmadNaik alias Ashiq in Pinglena village, some 3km from Pulwama town.
“The bullets had pierced his head which resulted in hisinstant death,” the official said.
Following the incident, an army spokesperson said that Naikwas a deserter.
“Recruit Showkat Ahmed Naik son of Mohammad Yousuf Naik never took oath as a soldier.
He was enrolled on January 18, 2018 in Territorial Army. He went to army’s Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) Regimental Center on 21 Mar 2018,” said the spokesman.
Naik, according to the spokesman, went on three days’ leaveon 14 September last year and never returned.
“He was declared deserter on 17 September 2018,” he said.
Local residents told Greater Kashmir that Naik was recruitedin the JAKLI regiment but could not say for sure whether he had deserted hisunit.
A resident said on the condition of anonymity that Naik’sfamily was in dire straits that impelled him to sell a few kanals of land a fewyears ago to make their ends meet.
“One day he told me he got a job in army and that is all Iknow,” he said.
Naik’s father Mohammad Yousuf Naik is mentally unsound andwas rather oblivious about the killing of son.
Although he participated in the funeral prayers of his son,he could not figure anything out.
Wailing Naik’s sister and mother were not in a position tospeak about the incident.
POLICE VERSION
In a statement, a police spokesman said: “In Pinglena areaof district Pulwama, police attended a gruesome crime spot following reports ofkilling of civilian by militants in the area”.
“One individual was shot dead by militants at 14.45 hourstoday at nearby Pinglena main road. He has been identified as Showkat AhmadNaikoo son of Mohammad Yousuf Naikoo, a resident of Pinglena. Police haveregistered a case FIR No. 27/2019 under relevant sections of law,” thestatement read.
“Body was handed over to the family members after completionof medico-legal formalities. Officersfrom the local police unit visited the crime spot and are investigating thecircumstances which led to this gruesome incident”.