Police Officer Ayub Pandith was beaten to death outside Jamia Masjid in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar.
Quick Take
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
Officer Ayub Pandith was posted outside mosque, was attacked by mob
Police say he may have opened fire in self-defence, 3 people were injured
Was beaten to death; security reinforcements have been rushed to the area
Hundreds gathered for funeral prayers near the officer's home. "I have brought him up like a son, do people who go to a mosque to kill people like this? He was not an informer, then why was he killed?" said the officer's sister, sobbing.
Many of his colleagues too wept at a wreath ceremony at the city's police lines attended not just by top police and administrative officials but political leaders, including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who said angrily that the people who the officer was protecting had betrayed him.

Policemen at the wreath-laying ceremony for DSP Ayub Pandith in Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar.
"There can't be a more shameful incident than this. This was his own area, so he told his security officers to go home for Shab-e-Qadr (the night of power). What can be bigger evidence of his faith (in the people)," Ms Mufti said.
The Jammu and Kashmir police were one of the country's best and performed their duty with valour, exercising restraint, the Chief Minister said, but warned, "They are showing maximum restraint because they think they are dealing with their own people, but for how long this will continue... It will be difficult if they lose patience."
A senior policemen said the officer, surrounded by the mob, appeared to have pulled out his service revolver in self defence as a last resort, but even as he stared death in the face he took care to shoot only at his attackers' legs, injuring three.

Scores of people gathered for the funeral of DSP Ayub Pandith in Srinagar.
Another police officer said three attackers have been identified and two of them have been arrested.
A week ago, six policemen including a Station House Officer (SHO), Feroz Ahmad Dar, were killed by terrorists in Anantnag district.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world