A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Police will investigate the killing of lawyer and TV panellist from Srinagar, Babar Qadri, “who had sidelined a caution from Police to leave his house for a few days for his safety”.
The masked gunmen had managed to get inside the lawyer’s house by disguising as clients, Police said.
Qadri, a resident of Hawal, Srinagar, was shot dead by unknown gunmen from point blank range at his residence at around 6:20 pm on Thursday.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the two masked men entered Qadri’s house as clients with files in their hands.
“They told him that they wanted to discuss some accident-related case but fired at his head with pistols. Qadri received four bullet wounds in his head and died on the way to the hospital,” Kumar said during a news conference here.
He said the gunmen also fired a few bullets in the air while escaping after the attack.
“We have constituted a SIT, headed by Superintendent of Police Hazratbal, which will investigate the killing of Qadri. The SIT will have legal experts and police officials as its members,” the senior Police officer said.
Qadri, who had been a vocal critic of the government, used to appear on TV channels and debate on issues pertaining to Kashmir including the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu Kashmir.
IGP Kashmir said Police had collected CCTV footage from a lane leading to Qadri’s house and it was being examined to ascertain the identities of the attackers.
All attempts would be made to arrest the culprits and if arresting them was not possible, they would be killed in gunfights, he said.
Three days before his killing, Qadri had tweeted a screenshot and urged Police to register an FIR against a Facebook user for spreading a “wrong campaign” against him.
Kumar said the lawyer had asked the Police to take note of the dangers posed to his life, but tagged Jammu Police, instead of Kashmir Police.
He said Police would have taken action and made security arrangements for Qadri had he approached the Police department.
The senior Police officer said Qadri was advised by his brother-in-law, who works as a DSP in J&K Police, to leave his home for a few days due to threat to his life but he declined.
The lawyer’s killing triggered condemnations from various quarters including mainstream politicians in Kashmir.