Pulwama, Mar 13: A former Special Police Officer (SPO) turned army soldier, who left army in the middle of a training course, was killed by suspected militants in Pinglena village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday afternoon, an official spokesman said.
“Showkat Ahmad Naik, son of Mohd Yousuf Naik was shot at by masked gunmen during afternoon hours on Srinagar-Pulwama road at his native village Pinglena,”a police official said.
The official said that Showkat was rushed to the district hospital Pulwama immediately but doctors there declared him brought dead.
Some sources said that Showkat was serving as SPO in Kashmir police before he joined army’s Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) but left midway in September last year after he could not cope with the training.
An army statement said that recruit Showkat Ahmad Naik son of Mohd Yousuf Naik never took oath as a soldier. He was enrolled on 15 Jan 2018 in Territorial Army. He went to Army’s JAKLI regimental Center on 21 Mar 2108.
Naik according to the spokesman went on three days leave on 14 Sep 2018 and he never returned.
“He is declared deserter on 17 September 2018,” he said.
According to locals of the Pinglena village Showkat before a year used to say I am working in JAKLI (Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry) but from past few months he was at home.
A local from Pinglena village said, “Showkat is survived by parents and a sister and he was the bread earner of the family as his father is mentally unsound. The father of the slain Showkat doesn’t know what actually has happened to his lone son.”
Many residents of the Pinglena village said no one knew that Showkat was currently working with JAKLI or not.
An eyewitness said that hundreds of people showed up at the funeral prayers of slain Showkat, who was later laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard.
