Doda: A man has gone missing along with an AK-47 rifle belonging to a Special Police Officer (SPO) in the Trown area of Chenab Valley’s Doda district on Tuesday evening, according to officials.
Sources identified the man as Muhammad Rafi, a resident of Trown near Pranoo. His age is unknown.
"He was accompanied by a Special Police Officer who was carrying the weapon. When they reached Pul Doda, the SPO, Safdar Hussain, got out of the vehicle to buy some essentials. During this time, Rafi fled in the car with the rifle. The vehicle has been recovered near the Jagota area of Bhalla, but neither Rafi nor the weapon was found in the vehicle," sources said.
The nature of his relationship with the SPO has not been disclosed.
Confirming the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Doda, Javed Iqbal, said that Rafi fled with the rifle and that the police are actively working to trace him.
"He might be hiding somewhere in his village but has not yet been located," he added.
Meanwhile, the police have launched a manhunt to apprehend him and recover the weapon.
The locals of Trown village have appealed to Rafi to return to his family.
(KNO)