Mudasir Ahmad, a 32-year-old policeman, was killed during an encounter on 25 May, when three Pakistani terrorists were also gunned down by security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir
It has been more than a week now, but 32-year-old policeman Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh’s fans, friends, acquaintances and friends are still visiting his home in the remote Uri area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district to mourn his death.
“We are unable to believe that he is no more. We are missing him every moment and it feels that he is around,” said Suhail Noor, a close friend of Mudasir.
On 25 May, three Pakistani terrorists were gunned down by security forces in an encounter at Najibhat crossing in Kreeri area of the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. The cop also lost his life during the encounter.
Mudasir was popularly known by his nickname ‘Bindaas Bhai’. “He got this name from the general public a few months after joining the Jammu and Kashmir Police because he had a big heart. He had always helped the people. His behaviour, boosting the youth to do well in their future and his habit of giving surprises are being missed by everyone here,” said Mudasir’s 24-year-old brother, Basit Maqsood.
Explaining his helping nature, Basit said that his mobile number was with the regular cab drivers plying on the Baramulla-Uri road. “They would call my brother if they were caught up or harassed by any cop unnecessarily. He would help and get them released. Recently, during a search operation in Uri which was close to a school, my brother went inside and distributed ice-creams among kids,” he said.
How did he join the police?
While speaking to Firstpost, Mudasir’s father Maqsood Ahmad Sheikh, a retired sub-Inspector from Jammu and Kashmir Police, said that his son was brave and a daredevil. “He was never afraid of getting killed and he believed that we all have to die one day. He is a martyr and I am proud of him,” said Maqsood.
He said that his passion to learn new things and be extraordinary encouraged him to join the police. “Since my wife belongs to the Rafiabad area of Baramulla, he shifted there after his 6th class. He completed his 10th class from a local school there and topped the exam,” Maqsood said.
“He ran away from home later without informing us with a truck driver from Punjab. He had a passion to learn driving but we were against it as he was a kid then. But after six months, he returned back. We forced him to look for a government job and finally in 2009, he got a driver’s job in the Jammu and Kashmir AIDS Control Society. There too we would find his friendship mostly with the police and many used to think that he was a cop instead of a driver,” Maqsood said.
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“I remember in 2016, sometime before my retirement, he came to me and said that he wanted to join the police. When I asked why he wanted to get into the police, he said that he wanted to help the people of Kashmir, especially his own people of Uri. He wanted to build a positive image of the Jammu and Kashmir Police among the public. He had a passion for wearing the uniform,” said Maqsood with tears in his eyes.
A day after Maqsood’s retirement, Mudasir got his joining order. “He joined as the Special Police Officer (SPO) and later based on his good work and physique, his seniors took him into Special Operation Group (SOG), an anti-terror force of Jammu and Kashmir Police,” he said.
Maqsood said that people from across Jammu and Kashmir visited his house whether it be Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims or others. “People from foreign countries like Oman called me and were shocked to learn about Mudasir’s death. I didn’t know that he had done so well for the people. In fact, on the first day, when he was buried there was so much gathering that people couldn’t enter inside the venue,” Maqsood said.
Maqsood requested the Central government, especially Lieutenant Governor (L-G), to set up the welfare schemes for all the cops and their families who remain away from their homes most of the time.
Lover of branded clothes
Touseef Maqsood, another brother of Mudasir, said that the late policeman loved branded clothes. “He would wear branded clothes and also purchase for others. If he saw someone wearing an old T-Shirt, he would get him the new one. My brother was known for his own style of wearing the clothes and shoes in the police department too. He never copied anyone’s style. In fact, SOG cops in Baramulla were given CARGO trousers after my brother wore them first. In fact, he chose the boots for them recently which were of American Army type. He wanted his team to look fit and unique,” he said.
“He had helped the people of Baramulla’s downtown, a most volatile area of the district, that he would go alone there in civvies and no one harmed him till date,” he said.
Last conversation was hurting
Touseef said that the last conversation with his brother was very painful. “We were planning the shopping for our elder sister who was getting married next month. We had a conversation through video conference at night and he said that he would join us in the coming days and we would go shopping for her. But around 2:15 am on that fateful day, he posted in our family WhatsApp group that he had duty in the morning and his phone would be off. He said if he returned, he would meet again. But we did not know that this was his last chat with us,” he said.
Sajad Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Uri, said that he was an exceptional cop. “Recently, he visited my shop and we were having a conversation and two college students were listening to us and they were so inspired that they took his number. A year back, I was travelling from Baramulla to Uri in a cab and SOG guys stopped us and took away the documents of the driver’s cab, I called Mudasir for help and he got them back within half an hour,” he said.
“I believe that whosoever has met him have become his fans, be it his behaviour, helpful nature or physique. They loved him. Uri has lost a gem which will never be reborn,” he said.
Mudasir has three brothers and two sisters and he was the eldest among them all.
What does the police say?
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Baramulla, Rayees Mohammad Bhat said that this was a great loss to Jammu and Kashmir Police. “He was a very brave boy; he would take up every task very seriously and be the front runner. There was a twinkle in his eyes and his style of working was very different. He was an exceptional cop,” the SSP said.
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