A prayer leader was ruthlessly beaten by army men on Srinagar-Kupwara road in when he was returning to his home in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Sunday, his family members said.
Qari Naseer Ahmad Sheikh (28), a resident of Halmatpora village of Kupwara, is being treated for his injuries at Sub-district hospital Kupwara, they said.
Sheikh was returning home from Khanqah-e-Moula area of Srinagar where he leads prayers at a mosque when he was asked to get down from a vehicle by army men of 21 RR near Fruit Mandi on Sopore Bye-pass on Srinagar-Kupwara road.
“He was taken to a nearby orchard and ruthlessly beaten, apparently for spotting a beard,” said his brother-in-law Shabir Ahmad.
People took to streets and staged protests as the news of his beating spread in the area.
The residents said that this was not the first such incident on the highway.
“Every person who takes this road is asked to move on foot and flash his identity proof by the army men. Without any rhyme or reason, they are thrashing the commuters,” they alleged.
Army was not available for comments.
