A sub-inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police on his way home was shot dead by militants in Pulwama district in South Kashmir on on October 28, officials said.
The body of sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmad Mir, who was posted with the CID in Srinagar’s Sheergadi, was recovered from the Chewa Kalan area of the district, the officials said. He was targeted when he was returning home, they said.
Police have registered a case and investigating has been taken up, the officials said.
The desperation to see his parents prompted Mr. Mir to shave off his beard and change appearance in his unsuccessful attempt to dodge militants who had laid a death trap for him in his village, his colleagues said.
Mr. Mir, 30, was shot dead by militants at Wahibug in Pulwama district of South Kashmir on October 28 when he was on his way home.
Posted in the CID department, Mr. Mir had been warned against venturing into his village as there was a possibility of attack by militant groups, who have been targeting policemen in the state recently.
“I had told him that he should not go as militants could attack. But he was desperate to see his parents who reside at Sontabugh in the interiors of Pulwama district,” recalled one of his supervising officers.
In the morning of Octobner 28, as he was preparing to leave for home, he came with a changed appearance. He shaved off his beard and decided to use his personal vehicle to go to his native village, the officer said.
“Now they (militants) will not be able to recognise me” were possibly his last words to his officer before he left for home with a smiling face as he was seeing his parents after a long time.
Mr. Mir is survived by his father and mother. Son of a retired police officer, Mr. Mir, who was from 2010 batch of sub-inspector, had served in Ganderbal district of South Kashmir for five years before being transferred to Kulgam district in 2017. He was shifted to the CID department in March 2018 and his superiors recalled his dedication towards his work.
Militants have been targeting policemen in the State and killed two special police officer and a constable in September, triggering an unrest in the lower ranks of the force with some SPOs declaring their resignation on social media. In fact, some militants had claimed that Mr. Mir had also submitted his resignation.
When the body of Mr. Mir was being brought to Pulwama district lines by a police team from Wahibug, it was attacked by stone pelters as security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operations in Chewa and the area where he was shot dead.
The police have also launched a probe to ascertain how the information about his journey to home had been leaked to militant groups, who had been waiting to ambush him at Wahibug.
