Militants late on Friday night gunned down a 45-year old woman contestant for the ongoing panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
A senior police officer said militants barged into the house of Mobeena, a contestant for the panchayat polls in village Karpora near central Kashmir town of Charesharief, 40 kms from capital Srinagar.
"The militants asked the victim to accompany them outside. She pleaded to withdraw from the polls. But, the militants opened fire killing her on the spot," the officer said.
The woman was rushed to the District Hospital at Pulwama where she succumbed to injuries.
Senior police officers rushed to the spot along with reinforcements.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the killing.
Multi-phased panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir are presently underway with the first phase witnessing brisk polling in the Valley.
Separatists as usual have asked people to boycott the polls being held after a gap of a decade.
Although the panchayat elections are being held on non-partisan basis, Mobeena was affiliated with opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
