ST Correspondent
SRINAGAR: Unidentified gunmen, believed to be militants, struck in broad daylight in Hazratbal outskirts on Monday and shot dead a middle-aged civilian at his home, one day ahead of the opening of Darbar Move offices in the summer capital.
Superintendent of Police Rayees Mohammad Bhat said that an unidentified gunmen hit 40-year-old Abdul Ahad Dar, son of Abdul Gaffar Dar on the premises of his house at Gasu, 8 km from Hazratbal, at around 3.00 p.m. Father of two young children—-one male, another female—-Dar was critically hit in his head. Family members and residents rushed him to SKIMS, Soura, where doctors declared him dead.
The gunman, possibly accompanied by another unidentified person, enquired about Dar and location of his house before hitting his target. A pistol was used in the attack. SP Hazratbal said that Police registered a case and started investigation even as immediately there were no clues. He said Police would examine all aspects including the possibility of personal enmity.
Dar was a hydraulic motor mechanic posted in Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Hospital Rainawari.
Unconfirmed reports described Dar as a former sympathiser of Jamaat-e-Islami who had also gained proximity to the separatist Hurriyat Conference in the past. People believe he had also remained linked to some officers in Police and security forces. According to these reports, in June 2014 Dar had visited Pakistan, solemnised second marriage with a woman and got her home.
SP Hazratbal however dismissed these reports as rumours and said that Police did not find such things in its preliminary investigation. No militant outfit claimed responsibility for Dar’s assassination.
