Plainclothes assault in Srinagar: man injured, woman dead, residents protest
Srinagar: A woman died of a suspected cardiac arrest after panic and chaos erupted Nishat, Srinagar, following an assault on a civilian by so-called “unidentified men,” raising fresh concerns over lawlessness and insecurity in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, reports said two unknown persons forcibly entered the residence of Javed Ahmad, a cab driver in Zeithyar, Nishat, and brutally assaulted him, leaving him seriously injured. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors described his condition as critical.
The attack also triggered panic in the neighbourhood, during which a woman, identified as Sayeeda Begum, wife of Ghulam Hussain Rathar, suffered a heart attack and collapsed. She was rushed for medical attention but was declared dead shortly thereafter.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the attackers appeared well-trained and acted in a coordinated manner, fueling suspicions that they were not ordinary criminals. Locals noted that similar attacks in the past have been linked to Indian army and paramilitary personnel operating in plainclothes as part of covert counterinsurgency operations.
Javed Ahmad’s family said he was dragged and beaten mercilessly before the assailants fled the scene.
The incident prompted residents of Nishat to stage a protest, demanding the identification and arrest of the attackers and an end to the use of plainclothes forces, which they said blur the line between civilians and armed personnel, putting innocent lives at constant risk.
Police from Nishat Police Station arrived at the scene after the assailants had already fled. The injured man was later taken into custody for questioning and is currently being held at the police station.
Civil society members said such incidents have contributed to a climate of fear and insecurity, particularly in residential areas, and have, in several past cases, been linked to personnel operating in plainclothes.
