A Panch in south Kashmir’s Shopian district claimed that he was kidnapped by suspected militants last night from his house and was released after alleged physical assault.“I was outside my house last night at around 9:10 pm and suddenly some called me by saying ‘hello’ and when I looked behind, there were three masked gunmen and one of them caught me,” Panch Muzaffar Ahmad, who resides at Bohri Halan Shopian, told GNS.He said after getting his hold, the gunmen fired several shots in air and none on ground near his foot. “Then they took me to a nearby stream where they assaulted me. I told them if you want to kill me then shoot. But don’t assault me like this,” he claimed. “They checked my cards and told me ‘would you inform army about the incident; but I said why I should inform them,” he said, adding: “after hue and cry at my home, the gunmen told him to call his family.”
The Panch said the gunmen left him and went away from the spot. “Then my family members and other people came,” he said. Asked if they were militants, he said replied: “I can’t say anything. They were masked.”The Panch informed that in the past several village representatives from the area resigned after receiving ‘threat letters’.A top police official of the district told GNS that they assessing the facts about Panch’s claim. “He is a young man. He told us that three people kidnapped him and released him after thirty minutes. We can’t say anything at the moment whether they were militants or not,” he said. “It would be too early to see but we can’t rule out militant hand,” he added.Meanwhile, army on Thursday conducted search operation in Dabja area of Peer Panjal range in the district following reports of presence of militants. (GNS)