Shakeel Qazi was a cop with unmatched bravery, seniors remember

Shakeel 'Qazi' Pathan was a police officer with unmatched bravery who took part in several anti-terror operations braving all odds, his seniors remember as they paid tributes to the Special Operation Group Sub Inspector who was killed in the Handwara gunfight.

Besides Qazi, a colonel, a major and two soldiers were also killed in the shootout with terrorists in Chanjmulla village in north Kashmir.

Narrating the story of Qazi's bravery, Superintendent of Police (SP) V K Bhat told PTI that he used to be part of the escort party of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) P N Tickoo when he was posted in the militancy-hit Kupwara-Handwara belt in 2000.

"I vividly remember that in one of the incidents, which happened on May 14, 2001, when Tickoo on his way back to Kupwara, the convoy was ambushed in the forest of Didikote and Qazi got badly injured along with his escort party," Bhat, who led the SOG team as a DySP, said.

Undeterred by the surprise attack, Qazi showed unique presence of mind ..