Possessed with ‘crude’ networking skills and ‘nerves of steel’ Sub-Inspector Shiv Krishen Sharma deployed in the Special Task Force (STF) of J&K Police was always armed with crucial information related to movement of militant commanders and their hideouts on the ‘icy’ heights of Doda district.
Wearing an innocent smile on his face he skillfully planted sources in the militant ranks and extracted information from them before launching ‘successful’ operations. Many a times he ‘coerced’ hardened militant commanders and convinced them to lay down their arms.
In recognition of his bravery, he was awarded Presidents gallantry award in 2011. He was often described by his senior officers as ‘little master’ with a gun, others gave him the title of ‘encounter specialist’.
The decorated officer, however, ran out of luck late Monday evening. This time, his sources failed to give him an alert message that he was going to be picked up by the police.
According to Inspector General of Jammu police Rajesh Kumar, “Sub-Inspector SK Sharma of Special Task Force and his security guard identified as Mohd Ayub Khan were arrested by the police after their names surfaced during the interrogation of five arrested militants in the Joint interrogation centre in connection with the grenade blast outside Thathri police station”.
According to police sources, the arrested group of five militants identified as Abdul Rashid, 27, code name Abdullah son of Mohammad Iqbal Hargah and Akhter Hussain, 23, son of Showket Ali Magray both residents of Tanta, Mohammad Rafi, 19, son Mohammad Ibrahim of Patnazi Bonjwah, Altaf Hussain, 19, son of Nazir Ahmed of Joura Gandoh at present Thathri and Mohammad Yaqoob, 26, son of Fateh Mohammad Gujjar of Bathree Gandoh spilled the beans about the possible involvement of encounter specialist and his security guard behind the plot. The duo was also believed to have provided arms and ammunition to the group of militants, police sources said.
According to police records, the gallant officer had played key role in about 100 successful anti-insurgency operations and earned two out of turn promotions in his illustrious career spanning about 15 years.
In the beginning, he joined the police as Special Police Officer in 1997-98 and was later promoted as constable. He helped security forces track down masterminds of Chapnari massacre where 25 villagers, accompanying marriage party, were massacred in Doda on June 19, 1998. In September 2007 when the encounter specialist ‘Sonu’ was injured during the fierce gunfight he was airlifted to Jammu medical college hospital. While he was being wheeled in he was found passing on instructions to his team members on how to tackle the militant commanders holed up inside their hideout.
IG, Jammu, Rajesh Kumar said, “At present, we are focusing our attention on the grenade blast case outside Thathri police station. We are in the process of gathering vital evidence in the case, we can focus on other cases in detail at a later stage,” he added.
Question marks have also been raised as to who provided arms and ammunition to group of militants as local police authorities believed that with militancy almost wiped out from the Doda district.
Police had recovered one AK-56 rifle, three magazines of AK-56, 143 rounds of AK-56 rifle, one Chinese pistol, one Magazine of Chinese pistol, five rounds of Chinese pistol, two Chinese grenades, one pouch and two Walkie Talkie wireless sets (Motorola) at the time of their arrest from Doda.