More VDCs to be set up, existing to be revamped; SLR or Insas may replace .303

18 addl CRPF companies being rushed to Rajouri, Poonch
* New pickets, night patrolling to start in sensitive villages
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 4: The Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs have come up with a series of measures to ensure protection of minorities in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in the wake of six civilian killings, two of them minors, in twin terror strikes at Upper Dhangri on New Year,
While 18 companies of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are being rushed to the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, a decision has also been taken to set up more Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and equip them with either SLR or Insas guns instead of present .303 rifles which are now outdated.
“Army Commanders and heads of paramilitary forces including CRPF and BSF will visit Rajouri and Poonch districts soon for on spot assessment of the situation while investigations in Upper Dhangri terror attack case are being handed over formally to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) though its teams are already camping at the spot,” official sources told the Excelsior.
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They said 18 additional companies of CRPF comprising 1800 paramilitary personnel are being rushed to the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch for deployment in minority-dominated villages and coordinate in search operations to track down the militants responsible for the terror attack.
A decision has also been taken to establish pickets of Army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police, or joint, in sensitive villages dominated by the minorities.
Regular night patrolling is also being mulled in many areas by security and police personnel in both Rajouri and Poonch districts.
According to sources, the district administration in Rajouri and Poonch will identify villages where new VDCs are required to be constituted while existing VDCs will be revamped with full strength.
“A proposal is also under consideration to replace obsolete .303 or 12 bore guns given to the VDCs with either SLR or Insas rifles,” sources said, adding a decision will be taken soon on the weapons after going into various issues like training of the VDCs in handling them.
Ex-servicemen in sensitive villages could also be equipped with weapons, which will be given to the VDCs, to act as additional protection in the villages.
Meanwhile, the Government has decided to handover investigations in Upper Dhangri terror attacks to the NIA.
“A formal order in this regard is likely to be issued by the Union Home Ministry shortly,” sources said.
The NIA teams headed by senior officers are already camping at Upper Dhangri and Rajouri gathering evidences.
Eight suspects have been detained by police from three different places in Rajouri district for questioning in connection with the terror attacks.
Meanwhile, a motorcycle broke police naka late this evening at Thalka near Nowshera after which cops with the help of locals chased the vehicle and intercepted it at some distance.
Three persons travelling on the motorcycle, however, left the vehicle in the middle of road and escaped.
Searches have been launched but police clarified that these suspects were not carrying any weapons and this information being shared on social media is not true.
“People are advised not to spread the rumour regarding these people carrying weapons,” police said.
Meanwhile, bandh against the twin terror attacks in Rajouri was today observed in the border town of Poonch while protests were held across the Jammu region.
Security was beefed up in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in view of the bandh, officials said.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in the district as hundreds of people, braving cold weather, came out to hold protests.
Raising anti-Pakistan slogans, the protestors burnt tyres and demanded enhancement of security in and around minority places in districts of the Jammu region.
Bandh, however, passed off peacefully.
In Kathua, protestors assembled on the highway at Kalibari and blocked it, thereby disrupting the movement of the traffic for an hour.
Led by local BJP leaders, the protestors demanded action against Pakistan for fomenting trouble in Jammu and Kashmir and burnt an effigy of the neighbouring nation.
“We held protests against the killing of the minority community by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and called for a surgical strike against the country to dismantle terror infrastructure there,” a BJP leader said.
Protests were also held in several places in Udhampur, Akhnoor, Katra, Reasi, Samba, Kishtwar and Doda districts.