Mirwaiz calls officer's lynching 'brutal act'

Srinagar, June 23: Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Friday condemned the lynching of a senior police officer here as a "brutal act".

"Deeply disturbed and condemn the brutal act at Nowhatta," the Mirwaiz tweeted about the Thursday killing of Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Ayub Pandit outside Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area.

"Mob violence and public lynching is outside the parameters of our values and religion. We cannot allow state brutality to snatch our humanity and values," said the leader of the moderate wing of the Hurriyat Conference.

Pandit was frisking visitors to the mosque on Thursday night when a group of men battered him to death. His body was found on Friday morning.