Locals from a south Kashmir village Friday appealed to the police to expose and held those extortionists who looted cash and cell-phone from 5 persons while they were approaching the mosque to offer fajar (morning) prayers at the mosque.
The incident as per villagers occurred in Trichal village on Thursday. The village is barely 3 kilometers away from the Pulwama district headquarters.
Locals told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that five villagers who were intending to enter the mosque to offer Fajr prayers were stopped by three extortionists who were probably carrying toy pistols. “They asked the men to show their identity cards, and during frisking, they took the cash and fled away,” they said.
The victims have been identified as Tawseef Ahmed Bhat son of Ali Muhammad Bhat, Muzafar Ahmed Dar son of Ghulam Hasan Dar, Javaid Ahmed Mohand son of Ghulam Hasan Mohand, Haji Ali Muhammad Dar and Muhammad Shaban Bhat son of Ali Muhammad Bhat.
Extortionists looted Rs 3,000 each from Tawseef Ahmed and Muzafar Ahmed, Rs 6000 from Javaid Ahmed, Rs 30,000 and an ATM and pan cards from the wallet of Haji Ali Muhammad and a cell phone from Muhammad Shaban Bhat.
Besides a cell phone, extortionists overall looted Rs 42,000 from the five victims.
This is the first such incident in the village that has left the villagers shell-shocked. They have appealed to the police to nab the extortionists and expose them before society. [KNT]