Slain Jammu And Kashmir Cop Laid To Rest In Baramulla, Police Detains Suspects

Villagers and family members of retired SSP Safi paid their last tribute to him by offering prayers.

Image credit: ANI

Baramulla: Terrorists shot dead a retired Senior Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police (SSP) Mohammad Shafi, at Gantmulla Village of Kreeri area in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district early today. The retired officer survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter, was laid to rest amid huge public participation. 

Jammu and Kashmir Police officials said that Mohammad Shafi had gone to the nearby mosque where he was offering Azaan ( Call for prayer) at the time of being shot by the terrorists. Shafi a retired officer for the last 11 years used to offer Azan daily since he got retired. Today he was middle of Azan when he was shot. People around felt that Azan stopped halfway some people rushed to the mosque and found Shafi on the floor He was taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared him dead.  

“Terrorists fired upon Shri Mohd Shafi, a retired police officer at Gantmulla, Sheeri #Baramulla, while praying Azan in the mosque and succumbed to injuries. Area has been #cordoned off. Further details awaited,” Jammu and Kashmir Police posted on X (formerly Twitter). (sic)

After the news of Mohammad Shafi's killing spread in the Baramulla district, a large crowd began to assemble at his residence. The retired officer was laid to rest with significant local public participation in his funeral. Various segments of society, including politicians, expressed condemnation for Mir's killing and called for decisive actions against those responsible.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police, in collaboration with other security agencies, have initiated an extensive cordon and search operation in the region. Security forces are exploring all aspects of the killing. According to officials, the ongoing investigation reveals that the deceased was shot with a 12-bore pellet gun, and the possibility of personal enmity is also under scrutiny. Police sources indicate that numerous suspects have been apprehended for questioning, and the police have gathered several 12-bore licensed guns from the area for further investigation. Authorities assure that they are diligently working to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the officer's death.

Intelligence inputs suggest that terrorists in Jammu Kashmir have changed their strategy, on one side they have chosen forests to hide and target the army and other security forces conveying vehicle or petrol movements who are seen in recent attacks in Poonch, Rajouri, Kulgam, and Kokernag while on other hand in towns they choose soft targets and attack them. There has been a rise in target killings in the Kashmir Valley in recent times. A police inspector was shot dead in Srinagar recently while a policeman was killed in the same Baramulla district recently too and a policeman was attacked in the Bemina area of Srinagar.