Authorities said a youngster and a social media influencer was shot dead in a downtown locality on Tuesday.
A senior police officer said the slain identified as Meeran Ali Pathan, a resident of Safa Kadal locality, was shot at 11:30 am in Bulbul Lanker area.
Meeran, who had participated in body building competitions, was travelling in a car at the time of the shooting.
The victim was critically injured in the shooting and passersby rushed him to SMHS hospital where he succumbed.
The slain youth was a bodybuilder and a social media influencer. Quoting a police officer, a local news gatherer reported that Pathan was killed in a 'gang war' between two rival groups.
“Primary investigation into killing of a youth in a firing incident at Nawa Kadal area of Srinagar has revealed that the incident is an act of Gang rivalry,” a police spokesman said.
“The Preliminary investigations conducted into the matter revealed that the killed youth was a part of 16 Gujjar Gang and was killed following a rivalry between two local gangs in the area,” the statement said, adding, “There was rivalry between two local gangs --Downtown Itehad and Gujjar Gang in the area and Mehran was part of Gujjar Gang. Further investigation into the matter is in progress.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Srinagar Sandeep Choudhary could not be reached for comment. Other police officers have also have kept silence on the issue.
A police spokesperson said earlier: “Today at about 1130hrs Srinagar Police received information about a terror crime incident at Nawakadal area of Srinagar where terrorists had fired upon a civilian. Senior police officers reached at the terror crime spot.”
“Preliminary investigation has revealed that terrorists had fired upon a civilian identified as Mehran Ali Sheikh son of Shabir Ahmad resident of Bulbul Lanker Nawakadal, outside his home. In this incident, he had sustained grievous bullet injuries and was shifted to hospital for the treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries,” it said.
“Police has registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of law. Investigation is in progress and officers continue to work to establish the circumstances which lead to this terror crime. Area has been cordoned off and search in the area is going on,”
According to reports, The Resistance Front, an offshoot of Hizbul Mujahideen, has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Reports said the killing of Meeran Ali son of Shabir Ahmad Sheikh of Nawa Kadal was the result of rivalry between two local gangs in the capital city.
"There was rivalry between two local gangs--Downtown Itehad and 16 Gujjar Gang in the area and Meeran was part of Gujjar Gang and he was a known gangster of the area and today morning he was shot at and was later rushed to a nearby healthcare facility, where he succumbed," reports said.
Pathan, a professional bodybuilder, had thousands of followers on social media, particularly Instagram.
A gym trainer, Pathan was earlier questioned by police in a stabbing case in downtown. He reportedly heads the "16 Gujjar Chattabal"— a "gang" from Srinagar's downtown area.