High on enthusiasm, Handwara gets a chill: candidate shot

According to Handwara’s Superintendent of Police, Gareeb Dass, six or seven militants—believed to be foreigners—stopped the vehicle of Abdul Rehman Sheikh at Gori Hukhar village, around 12.35 pm, and kidnapped him after disarming five personnel of the Railway Protection Force and his personal security officer. He’s the first candidate to be killed in these elections.

‘‘The RPF men and PSO ran to the nearby army camp along with one civilian survior—Abdul Rasheed Sheikh, the son of the assassinated candidate,’’ Dass said. The militants fled the spot alongwith six SLR rifles, a carbine and a 303 rifle.

Sheikh was 65 years old, and had unsuccessfully fought elections earlier as well. He had earlier been associated with the Bahujan Samaj Party and had resigned to contest as an independent after being denied a ticket.

According to police sources, the securitymen did not put up any resistance and laid down their weapons before the militants.

‘‘They ran for their lives as soon as the militants identified Sheikh and took him along,’’ a police source said.

The killing has added to the tension in the constituency where the entry of Ghulam Mohideen Sofi, who resigned from the separatist People’s Conference, had charged up the atmosphere. The militants are irritated by the enthusiasm of the villagers for the elections.

Here 10 candidates are in the fray, including the NC, Congress and JD (U), seven independents. Other incidents of attacks on candidates were reported:

» Militants opened fire at a campaign vehicle of an independent candidate at Kandi, in the same constituency.

» The house of National Conference candidate from Samgrama contituency was attacked and a Central Industrial Reserve Force personnel injured. The candidate, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, wasn’t at home at the time of the attack.

» Militants opened fire at the residence of Pattan’s Congress candidate, Abdul Ahad Yatoo. Nobody was injured.