A civilian was shot dead by the Army in north Kashmir’s Baramulla after he allegedly sped away from a checkpoint on Thursday. In Jammu’s Kathua, another civilian was found dead after allegedly facing torture in police custody.
An official identified the victim as Waseem Ahmad Mir, a resident of Baramulla’s Sopore.
The Army, in a statement, said, “On February 5, 2025, based on a specific intelligence input about the movement of terrorists, a mobile vehicle check post was established by security forces. One speeding suspicious civil truck was spotted. When challenged, the truck didn’t stop despite repeated warnings instead accelerated further while crossing the check post.”
The Army said troops pursued the vehicle for over 23 km. “Shots were fired aiming on tyres which forced the vehicle to halt. After to a detailed search, the injured driver was immediately evacuated to Government Medical College, Baramulla, where he was declared dead.”
The J&K police said it has lodged an FIR at the Baramulla Police Station. The police urged the public to maintain peace and refrain from spreading misinformation regarding this incident.
In Jammu’s Kathua, a civilian, who was allegedly tortured in police custody, was found dead on Thursday. According to the local people, Makhan Din, 25, from Billawar, was beaten up and mentally tortured in police custody over having links with militants.
They said he had even made a video inside a mosque where he swore that he had never seen a militant in the area.
Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, in a post on X, said Din was detained by the SHO of Billawar on false charges of being an overground worker (OGW).
This story was originally published in thehindu.com. Read the full story here.
