Police on Friday said that District Development Council (DDC) candidate who was shot at in Sangam area of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district had ignored to take escort for campaigning in view of elections.
“He was allocated a cluster accommodation in Khanabal and after the end of the scrutiny period he was properly informed by police station Kokernag on the evening of 3rd December regarding the same,” said a spokesman in a statement.
“Besides, he was instructed to get escort personnel for campaigning purposes which he did not take. Pertinently, all the candidates have already been instructed to inform us before going out for campaigning. The information regarding his movement was neither conveyed to PCR nor to concerned police stations,” the statement reads.
Giving details about the incident, the spokesman said, “Today at about 1200 hours Anantnag police received information about the incident at Sagam, Kokernag area of District Anantnag, where militants had fired upon a DDC candidate. Senior police officers immediately reached the spot.”
However, police said that preliminary investigation revealed that militants had fired upon the independent DDC candidate of Sagam constituency.
“He has received injuries in the small finger of his left hand and minor injury on thigh. The injured was immediately evacuated to nearby hospital for the treatment of his injuries, where his condition is stated to be stable,” the spokesman said.
He has been identified as Anees-ul-Islam Ganie son of late Fareed Ahmad Ganie resident of Sagam.
Police have registered a case vide FIR No. 149/2020 under relevant sections of law at Police Station Kokernag and investigation has been taken up.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar has requested all the candidates and vulnerable people to inform concerned PCRs or police stations as and when they are desirous of going for poll campaign or such movements so that appropriate security arrangements are done accordingly.