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Sopore sarpanch slain by militants in Kashmir

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Faith in democracy proved fatal for a Sarpanch in the apple-rich town of Sopore.

A group of khaki-clad militants executed 62-year-old sarpanch Ghulam Mohommad Mir aka Bedar, hours after abducting him from his home at Hygam-Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district on Saturday.

Mir was assassinated a day before 18 constituencies of four districts of Jammu and Kashmir go to the polls in the crucial fourth phase on Sunday.

Police said that a group of five men barged into his house and abducted him at gunpoint on Friday evening.

"He was taken to Shalbug, 1.5 kilometres from his home and killed. We were looking for him through the night and found his body this morning", said Abdul Qayoom, superintendent of police, Sopore.

Family members said they tried to resist his abduction but the gun-wielding men promised to release him after his meeting with their officer.

"A group of armed men wearing Khaki uniform asked my father to accompany them. When my two sisters resisted they said they would drop him back after he meets the officer outside. When we didn't agree, they forced him out of the house", cried Elahe Bedar, the srapanch's daughter.

A pall of gloom descended on the village after his body reached home. Thousands gathered at the house to bid farewell to the village headman who had done exemplary rescue and relief work during September floods.

Police launched a massive manhunt to arrest the militants responsible for the incident. "A case has been registered and hunt is on to identify and arrest the militants responsible for the incident. This Sarpanch was already under threat and had no security cover", said a police officer.

Sopore constituency had gone to polls in the third phase on December 9. A separatist stronghold, the constituency had recorded 30 per cent polling.

This is third killing of panchayat members and their relations during the ongoing polls in Jammu and Kashmir. On November 16 a brother of a Sarpanch was killed in Pulwama district. Another Sarpanch was assassinated in Shopian district of south Kashmir on November 30.

The killings have come in the backdrop of threat posters issued by dreaded militant outfits including Lashkar e Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Shohada Brigade asking people to stay away from the assembly polls.

The assassination has evoked a sharp reaction from panchayat members and political parties in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Militants have got frustrated after the successful assembly elections in the state. Militants and other antidemocratic forces must read the writings on wall and shun the path of violence", said Shafiq Mir, chairman, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference.

Main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said re-occurrence of such dastardly incidents is unfortunate and these are no way solution to their problems."Such killings bear no fruit but tragedies," said a PDP spokesman.

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