A police officer was lynched in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, early on Friday after he allegedly opened fire on a group of people that had caught him taking photographs near a mosque. The police said the mob attacked him after spotting him behaving suspiciously outside Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta locality during congregational prayers at the mosque (scroll.in)

The officer has been identified as Deputy Superintendent of Police (Security) Mohammad Ayub Pandith. Pandith was posted on anti-sabotage duty, a security and surveillance responsibility, outside the mosque, when he was attacked. (ndtv.com)

He belonged to Khanyar area which is adjacent to Nawuet where he was killed.(kashmirdispatch.com)

Witnesses to the violence said three people were injured after Pandith allegedly began to shoot at them with his pistol as the mob tried to catch him. They are believed to have stripped him naked before beating and stoning him to death. (scroll.in)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday denounced the lynching of a senior police officer here and said the crime was a "murder of trust".

"Jammu and Kashmir has one of the finest police forces in the country who exercise maximum restraint while dealing with law and order situation," she added. (undefined)

The violence came ahead of call for protests from Kashmiri separatist leaders against a civilian’s death in clashes in Pulwama on Thursday. Local residents had clashed with security forces after three suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter. (scroll.in)