Asif Ahmad a civilian got killed in misfiring incident in Pulwama

A security personnel was arrested and his weapon seized after a civilian got killed when his service rifle went off in a misfire in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.

Police said that 25-year-old Asif Ahmad was hit by the bullet at a check point at Haal in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district after the rifle of the security personnel accidentally went off at around 10am.

“It was a ‘misfire’ in which the person was hit,” said station house officer, Zafar Ahmad. A first information report has been registered in the case.

Ahmad was rushed to nearby hospital and then to tertiary care institution, Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital in Srinagar where he succumbed.

Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti blamed “an overcautious and paranoid security apparatus” on Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Kashmir for the incident.

“As if the harsh measures put in place causing grave inconvenience to the people in Kashmir weren’t enough, Asif from Pulwama paid with his life in the name of ensuring security for HM’s visit. My heart goes out to his family,” she said in a series of tweets.

“An overcautious & paranoid security apparatus in J&K has snuffed out an innocent life in Pulwama today. The need to prove normalcy overrides the sanctity of lives here. For how long will people of J&K bear a human cost to further GOIs ‘all is well’ agenda,” she said.

Senior J&K politician and Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami demanded a probe into the death of the civilian.

“Deeply pained by the unfortunate incident in which an innocent young man lost his life in Hall village of Pulwama. There must be a credible probe into the incident. Sharing the pain and grief of the bereaved family, “ he said.

Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti also accused police of putting her under house arrest as she wanted to visit Pattan town in Baramulla for a wedding function. Police said that she was free to go.

Home minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in the Union territory and addressed a rally in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Wednesday.