The authorities in Jammu & Kashmir on Monday suspended seven policemen whose service rifles were looted from the official residence of a legislator last week. The suspension orders were issued on a day when a Special Police Officer (SPO), who looted the rifles, surfaced on social media sites along with a group of Hizbul Mujahideen terrosists to announce his joining the terrosist group along with the arms and ammunition.
The policemen have already taken into custody for detailed investigation. Officials said they were suspended for their callous attitude towards duties. Besides police, the sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other investigating agencies have also joined interrogation of the detained cops.
Security sources said their cell phones have also been confiscated for investigation. However, the case has not yet been exclusively taken over by the NIA.
The SPO Adil Bashir who fled with seven rifles and a pistol from the residence of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Aijaz Ahmad Mir’s Jawahir Nagar residence in Srinagar stunned the security grid. Bashir has reportedly joined Hizbul Mujahideen as his pictures while posing with a gun along with other members of the outfit including top commander Zeenatul Islam have gone viral on social networking sites. A separate picture of the looted cache of arms has also gone viral.
Last Saturday, the Police and NIA began in-depth investigation into the arms loot case.
The SPO was deployed as Personal Security Officer (PSO) of PDP legislator representing Wachi constituency in south Kashmir's Shopian district. he had joined the force last year. Besides seven rifles he also decamped with licensed pistol of MLA who was in winter capital Jammu at the time of commission of act by the PSO.
Sources said since MLA was in Jammu, his all seven PSOs had gone to their respective homes on leave, leaving their weapons in a trunk at J-11 quarters at Jawahar Nagar.
Besides legislator Advocate Ajaz Mir, around a dozen other PSOs deployed in MLA security unit were also questioned by Police and NIA sleuths at legislator's official residence on Saturday (Sep 29).
The Police had also announced a cash reward of two lakh rupees for capturing deserted Special Police Officer (SPO) alongwith weapons.
The PSO's act is being seen as highly motivated and unprecedented act in the past nearly three decade history of terrorism in Kashmir region. There have been several recent cases wherein SPOs and police personnel deserted Police force and decamped with service rifles before joining the terrorist ranks.
Official statistics revealed that 34 rifles and one pistol have been looted, snatched or taken away by the terrorists besides SPOs and Policemen who deserted police force, in nine major incidents since March 29, 2015.
The 24-year-old SPO Aadil Bashir Sheikh hails. from legislator's native Zainapora village. Mir is one of the youngest legislators in J&K assembly and considered as loyalists of Mehbooba Mufti. his father was killed by terrorists in late 1990s.
The SPOs are low paid and irregular recruits to State police primarly taskes to do menial jobs at police stations or assist counterinsurgency operations.
Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs enhanced monthly honorarium for SPOs with different categories of service period starting from one year to 15 years with honorarium ranging from Rs 5,000 to maximum Rs 15,000 per month depending upon the length of service as SPO.
This followed after over four dozen SPOs tendered their resignations through video statements after three police personnel including one SPO were killed in south Kashmir's Shopian district last week.
The police department denied it has received any formal resignations from SPOs. Even internet services were snapped in Pulwama and Shopian district to scuttle influence of SPOs videos tendering resignations. One woman SPO from another south Kashmir district Kulgam with 15 year service had also posted resignation video. Even one counter insurgent SPO Uzair Billa from Srinagar outskirts posted his resignation video through social media networking sites seeking apologies from public.