Two arrested for lynching police officer

Two of the three suspects have been arrested for lynching a senior police officer here and a hunt is on for the third, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police S.P. Vaid said on Friday.

Vaid said separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's men were involved in the Thursday night killing of Deputy Superintendent of Police Ayub Pandit.

"We have identified three people and two of them have been arrested. The third will be arrested soon," he told the media.

The body of Pandit was recovered on Friday morning outside the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area where he was killed.

Asked if Mirwaiz was inside the mosque when the incident happened, Vaid said the investigation was on but "definitely his (Mirwaiz's) men are involved in the murder".

"He was murdered by the same people whose protection he was ensuring. Those who were involved would face the law," he said.

Vaid said Pandit was frisking visitors to the mosque to ensure no one was carrying weapons.

Asked if Pandit's colleagues abandoned him, Vaid said the matter was being investigated and if this was true, those responsible would be taken to task.

--IANS

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