Worker from Bihar shot dead in Valley

A migrant worker from Bihar was shot dead in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday, according to the police.

A senior police official told The Tribune that the incident took place at Wandana Malhora area of Shopian district.

Ashok Chauhan, a roadside maize seller, who is a resident of Bihar, was in the area to collect maize when he was killed by unidentified men.

Was corncob seller

• Ashok Chauhan, a roadside corncob seller who was a resident of Bihar, was living in Sangam area of Anantnag
• He had been coming to Shopian to collect maize and then used to sell it
• On Friday, a group of five people had come to collect corn. Chauhan went to another nearby field to collect it
• After some time, other workers started searching for him, but they couldn’t find him
• Police sources confirmed that his body had multiple bullet wounds

Chauhan was living in Sangam area of Anantnag district, but had been coming to the area to collect corncobs and then used to sell it.

“A group of five people were in the area to collect corn… Chauhan had gone into another nearby field to collect it. After some time, other workers started searching for him, but they couldn’t find him,” a senior official said.

Police sources confirmed that his body had multiple bullet wounds. “He was shot from a close range by terrorists,” the official said.

According to officials, the agencies are investigating multiple aspects of the case. “The victim had got a call from a civilian before the killing…though the civilian had called him regarding the selling of maize. We are looking at that aspect as well,” said a senior official, adding that the civilian would also be questioned.

After the body was found, a search operation was launched by the security forces in the area, which is on the border of Anantnag and Shopian district. Today’s incident in south Kashmir is the third targeted attack on a non-local this year in the Valley.

One of his colleagues told reporters while they were harvesting corn, the man told them he was going somewhere. “When he didn’t come, we called and he didn’t pick up. We started looking for him and later his body was found,” he said.