Suspected terrorists on Sunday decamped with at least four assault rifles from the residential guard post of former Indian National Congress legislator Muzaffar Parray in Jawahar Nagar area of uptown Srinagar.
A senior police officer confirmed that four AK series rifles were missing from the official residence of Muzaffar Parray, a member of legislative council and resident of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The cops who were allotted the rifles have been taken into custody for questioning. Three of them belong to the security wing of police.
Senior police officials rushed to the area to assess the situation. An alert was sounded in the summer capital city and a manhunt was launched to track down the weapon looters.
No militant outfit claimed responsibility for the incident.
This is the second such incident in three months in the capital Srinagar. Earlier on September 28, eight weapons were looted from the official residence of the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Ajaz Mir in Jawahar Nagar area. Incidentally, the two quarters are a stone’s throw apart.
It later turned out that Special Police Officer (SPO) Adil Bashir Sheikh deployed as Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Mir, then representing Wachi constituency in the state assembly, had decamped with seven AK 47 rifles of his colleagues and licensed pistol of the legislator. The legislator was away in Jammu when the loot occurred and his guards had left the residence after locking the weapons in a steel truck.
Mir was quizzed by Police and National Investigating Agency (NIA) sleuths for three days after then incident. SPO Adil Bashir reportedly joined Hizbul Mujahideen as his pictures with militants in Shopian went viral on internet.
Following weapon loot at Mir’s residence, the police authorities ordered to withdraw the Special Police Officers (SPOs) from performing the duties of Personal security Officers (PSOs) of all protected persons. SPOs work on monthly honorarium.
Official statistics revealed that 34 rifles and one pistol have been looted, snatched or taken away by the militants besides SPOs and Policemen who deserted police force, in nine major incidents since March 29, 2015.
