''J&K Police have arrested 20 accused so far in DSP lynching case''

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 24

J&K Police on Monday claimed that so far they had arrested 20 accused in the case involving the lynching of Deputy Superintendent of Police Ayub Pandith in old Srinagar last month.

“Twenty accused have been arrested in the case and another, Sajjad Gilkar, was killed in an encounter in Budgam recently,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Khan told reporters at a press briefing. “More arrests will be made in the case.” 

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DSP of the security wing, Ayub Pandith, 57, was stripped and lynched outside Jamia mosque in Nowhatta area of old city on June 23 when people were observing Shab-e-Qadar and had gathered for congregational prayers. Witnesses had said that the officer was taken as a spy after he pulled out his service revolver and fired at the mob injuring three people, when they attacked him. The lynching of the DSP triggered outrage. Pandith was part of the security grid deployed for devotees attending the night-long prayers at Jamia mosque.

J&K Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Superintendent of Police, north, Sajad Shah, for speedy investigation into the lynching case.

Khan said people came forward voluntarily which helped them in the case.

“It was with the help of locals that we were able to arrest the three main accused first who later led us to further arrests,” Khan said. “The iron rod used to beat Pandith, the damaged pistol and his cell phone have also been recovered.”