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Former SSP’s killing: A week on, J&K Police still groping in the dark
Jammu and Kashmir Police have constituted a special investigation team, which is led by a senior officer to investigate the killing
A week after the killing of retired SSP Mohammad Shafi Mir inside a mosque at Gantmulla in Baramulla, police are yet to find any concrete evidence that could lead them to the killers or the motive behind the murder.
From past one week, police have been investigating all the angles of the case and have questioned dozens of people regarding the killing. On Friday, the police also announced a cash reward of ₹5 lakh for those providing any information about the killing of the 72-year-old retired police officer.
The police have already constituted a special investigation team (SIT), which is led by a senior officer to investigate the killing.
While police blamed the killing on militants, health officials said the 72-year-old was killed by pellets from a .12 bore gun. Mir was killed while he was giving a call for morning prayers (azaan) in the mosque in the neighbourhood of his house.
Police have already seized 43, .12 bore guns from Gantmulla village and its adjoining villages, and FSL examination of those guns is being done by the experts.
Senior police officers who are monitoring this case are tight-lipped about the progress of the investigations.
Earlier, Mir’s family had also alleged that when they asked for restoration of his security cover, it was denied by the police. The security wing of the police has refuted the allegations. Mir’s security was withdrawn in December 2022. Mir had retired in 2012 and was having one personal security officer (PSO).
“We are investigating every angle of this case and killers won’t be spared,” a police officer privy to details of the case said.
Initially, police said terrorists were responsible for the killing after four pellets were recovered from the body of the retired officer during postmortem. However, the investigators expanded their investigation of the case to other possible causes as well.
