By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar: In a gruesome incident unidentified persons today murdered an Imam (Muslim prayer leader) while performing prayers in a local Mosque at Hurpora in south Kashmir district of Shopian, late on Friday night.
The victim was apparently attacked by a sharp edged weapon from behind causing his on the spot death.
Fourty year old Muhammad Yaseen Wani son of Habibullah of Hurpora Shopian was found lying in a pool of blood inside the Masjid, official sources quoting eyewitnesses told News Agency of Kashmir, on Saturday. He had breathed his last when a local resident spotted him bleeding feverously, they added.
It was reliably learnt that after the Imam (one who leads payers) did not return home after Nimaz-e-Isha (the last prayer of the day) on Friday, his family members came searching for him in the Masjid.
To their great shock, the Imam was found lying in pool of blood inside the Masjid.
Police rushed to the spot and shifted the body to a government hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
The incident sent a wave of shock in the area and large number of people gathered outside the mosque.
Police said that the deceased has apparently been attacked with an axe but no weapon of offence has been recovered so far.
Police has registered a case in this regard and has launched a manhunt to nab the killers. Though police claims that it has developed some clue about the murder, no arrest was made till late this evening.