A tragic incident in Qazigund, South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, claimed the life of 25-year-old Zahid Ahmad Banday, a groom-to-be, during a fake search operation on Thursday night. The accused, Naseer Ahmad Sheikh, allegedly impersonating a security officer, stabbed Banday with a sharp-edged weapon during a scuffle and fled, only to be apprehended by locals.

Sheikh, a resident of a neighboring village, entered the home of Mohammad Yaseen Banday in Kishgund, Sangran, wearing a security forces uniform and carrying a toy pistol, dagger, and walkie-talkie. Claiming a terrorist cordon, he demanded family members surrender their phones. Suspicious of Sheikh’s actions, Zahid confronted him, leading to a struggle in which Zahid was fatally wounded. He was rushed to Emergency Hospital Qazigund but succumbed to his injuries.

Sheikh, injured after jumping from a second-floor window, was caught by family members and handed over to Qazigund Police, who recovered the weapons. Locals suspect Sheikh was part of a gang, as such an operation seems unlikely for a lone individual. The police, led by SSP Kulgam Sahil Mahajan, have registered a case under sections 64 (murder) and 351(1) (attempt to commit an offense) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with investigations ongoing to identify potential accomplices.

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The incident has sparked outrage in the community, with residents like Mohammad Altaf demanding stricter action against such deceptive crimes, citing the region’s history of legitimate security operations.

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