Srinagar, Apr 24: A polling staff party was attacked by unidentified gunmen in district Shopian Thursday evening resulting into death of one polling officer and five others sustained injuries.
The IGP Kashmir Abdul Ghani Mir while talking to news agency confirmed the death of one polling official. “The five injured officials include 2 CRPF, 2 polling officials and one policeman. All of them have been shifted to hospital.â€
According to news agency Shopian correspondent, the deceased polling officer has been identified as Zia-ul-Haq Wani, 37, son of Mohammad Yousuf Wani. The deceased was working as a teacher in government primary school Herpora Shopian.
The news agency correspondent said that a polling staff party was stationed at Hefkud and was returning to the district headquarters in Shopian. “At Nagbal-Zainpora some unidentified gunmen fired upon the vehicle carrying polling staff near SOG camp,†the news agency correspondent informed adding that the firing created panic in the area and the whole area including Chtrigam, Zainpora, Nagbal in Wachi constituency were cordoned immediately.
Meanwhile, reports said that while returning from their respective polling booths, a number of polling staff parties in the area faced the wrath of stone pelters.
“Throughout the day, there were stone pelting incidents in almost 30 places in Shopian Zainpora area, 20 places in Pulwama, 10-12 places in Kulgam and a few places faced some minor stone pelting incidents in Anantnag,†reports maintained.
According to news agency correspondent in Tral, some 1284 out of 83669 votes were cast including around 400 votes each in two villages of Karmul and Bathnoor. “While as rest 300 votes were cast in some 70-80 villages of Tral. Areas like Devar, Hafu, Nazneenpora, Chatrugam, Kangunara, Daramgund, Gulshanpora, Nanar, Beghgund, Symuh where Sikh constitutes a portion of population observed boycott,†said news agency correspondent from Tral.
He added that no vote was cast in 61 polling stations in Tral.
Meanwhile, a police handout said that militants near Handew, Nagbal on Shopian-Zainpora road fired upon a bus carrying polling staff and security personnel. “One polling officer namely Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq of Herpora, Shopian was killed and one polling staff member Zubair Ahmad Indrabi of Shopian, two CRPF personnel of 144Bn namely Sanjay Kumar and Vijay Kumar, one Policeman HC Ghulam Nabi and driver of the bus Manzoor Ahmad of Tral received bullet injuries. All the injured have been evacuated to hospital,†the police statement added.
