The Governor administration changed the police leadership in Jammu & Kashmir amid growing incidents of violence and ahead of proppsed polls for local urban bodies and panchayats.
Dilbagh Singh, a 1987 batch Indian Police Service officer with several counterinsurgency assignments under his belt on Friday took the baton from outgoing police chief Shesh Paul Vaid who was transferred to hold the charge of transport commissioner.
Singh is already holding the post of DGP Prisons and has been ordered to hold charge of Director General of J&K police in addition to his own duties. The order to this effect was issued by State Home Department through Principal Secretary Home late on Thursday evening.
The change in police leadership was in circulation since the beginning of this month when a major crisis erupted after militants abducted nearly a dozen close relatives of policemen and officers in south Kashmir region to deter security forces from taking on relatives of terrorists in their pursuit. After the abduction spree, the authorities released several close relatives of terrorists including father of Hizbul Mujahideen 'Operational commander' Riyaz Naikoo from a police station in Awantipora. The unofficial swap has not gone down well with the top brass in Union Ministry of home affairs, sources said.
Even as Vaid was active on counterinsurgency front, his several decisions were not liked by police rank and file. One of his controversial circulars was to bar policemen hailing from South Kashmir region from visiting their homes. Despite the advisory, many policemen we're killed by terrorists in the region while as the number of terrorists surged to 300 in the Valley, first time in a .
Earlier, the administration also shifted police intelligence chief Abdul Ghani Mir. The assignment was given to Dr B Srinivas, who has earlier also served as intelligence chief in the region.
Immediately after taking over as the police chief Dilbag Singh chaired a high level meeting of police officers here and impressed upon them to continue with their work for restoration of peace in the State. He said that the J&K Police has seen many challenges in the past and will sail through the present challenges as well. He directed the officers to look after the welfare and other needs of their subordinates particularly the constabulary.
Earlier on his arrival the DGP was received by senior police officers and was presented a guard of honour at Srinagar Police Headquarters.
Later in the evening he drove to the Raj Bhawan and held a detailed discussion with Govenor Malik on the emerging situation in the State.