Umaisar Gull Ganie
Qazigund, Jul 18: A 25-year-old youth was killed in Qazigund area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday after a thief, impersonating a security forces official, broke into his house and engaged in a scuffle with him.
Official sources said that the robber, posing as a security personnel, barged into the residence of Mohammad Yaseen Banday, a resident of Kishgund Sangran, under the pretext of conducting a search operation.
Sensing something suspicious, Zahid Ahmad Banday, son of the house owner, confronted the intruder and tried to apprehend him, leading to a scuffle.
During the altercation, Zahid was critically injured after being attacked with a sharp-edged weapon. He was immediately rushed to Emergency Hospital Qazigund, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The accused has been identified as Naseer Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of Nussu Badragund. He was later caught by locals and handed over to the police. He was found wearing a security forces uniform, and a walkie-talkie, toy pistol and a sharp knife were recovered from his possession.
The robber, who also sustained injuries during the confrontation, was shifted to GMC Anantnag for treatment before being taken into police custody.
Locals expressed shock over the incident. Ajaz Ahmad Banday, a local resident, said: “There is fear in the village. Such incidents must not happen again. We demand severe punishment for the accused. He can’t be acting alone, those behind him must be identified and the motive should be thoroughly investigated.”
The deceased Zahid Ahmad Banday was scheduled to get married in September, adding to the grief of the family and the local population.
A police officer said that a case under FIR number 147/2025 has been registered and investigation is underway with all possible angles being probed. (KNO)
