Intruder shot dead near Omar Abdullah’s house

In a case similar to the recent gunning down of a college student for intruding into a high security defence area in Bangalore, a 45-year-old man was shot dead by a sentry for allegedly scaling the compound wall of the residence of commander 31 Sub Area on Gupkar Road here.

The compound is 100 metres from G-1 Gupkar, the residence of chief minister Omar Abdullah. The army said the intruder may have been carrying out “reconnaissance with the aim of launching a fidayeen attack at a later date”.

Defence spokesman Col DK Kachari said Abdul Rashid Reshi of Pahalgam made the “recce attempt” at 10 pm on Tuesday. “The intruder continued to run towards the commander’s residence after scaling the compound wall despite repeated warnings by sentries, forcing them to fire at him. The matter was immediately reported to police, after which the SP, SDPO and SHO rushed to the site and took custody of the body,” he said.

Rashid’s relatives, however, claimed he was hearing and speech impaired and had lost his way. “He had come from Pahalgam to visit us, but strayed into Gupkar,” sister-in-law Jawahira, who lives at Khonkhan-Nawpora in old city, said.