SPO was in touch with militants: DGP
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 29 Director General of Police Dilbag Singh today said that the Special Police Officer (SPO) who fled with 7 AK-rifles and pistol from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA’s residence at Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar yesterday was in touch with the militants.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Bandipora in North Kashmir, Singh said that the SPO Adil Bashir was in touch with the militants. “The SPO was connected with the militants from other side”, he said. Click here to watch video
The DGP said that Police is working on the leads regarding the associates of the SPO who are involved in weapon stealing. He said that action will be taken against police men who didn’t perform their duty well. “A case has been registered regarding decamping of weapons by the SPO. We are working on the leads that we got regarding the associates involved with the SPO and action will be taken against the persons who didn’t perform their duty well”, he said.
And police detained the Personal Security Officers (PSOs) of MLA Aijaz Ahmad Mir and suspended them.
Those who were detained and suspended are Selection Grade Constable Abdul Hamid, Constable Manzoor Ahmad, Constable Farooq Ahmad, SPO Azad Ahmad, SPO Asif Ahmad Rather, SPO Imran Ahmad and SPO Rayees Ahmad.
MLA Mir was questioned by police at his residence in Jawahar Nagar today about the SPO Adil who is from his native village and was employed this year only. Sources said that the SPO was deputed for his security duty on the insistence of the MLA.
The PSOs of Mir were also questioned by the Police since last night about Adil. They were questioned for not informing their higher ups about the movement of the MLA.
Sources said MLA Mir had not informed about his movement outside the State to the SSP Security or SSP Shopian. The PSOs of the MLA too had not informed their higher ups that MLA has gone outside the State.
Sources said that the SSP Security had issued an advisory in the second week of August this year asking the MLA Mir to be vigilant and inform about his movement to the police higher ups for security reasons. The advisory had also mentioned that the weapons should be kept at secure place due to incidents of weapon snatching by militants.
Sources said that a group of militants of Hizbul Mujahideen associated with Zeenatul Islam were in Srinagar in two cars yesterday and Adil must have handed over the weapons to them and joined the group as well.
Meanwhile, Army today raided the house of Adil in Shopian and asked the family members about his whereabouts. Army told the family that they should motivate him for surrender.
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