Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 5: A wider racket of police-militant nexus is emerging in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with police exploring the links of its own personnel across the Line of Control (LoC) for smuggling weapons for selling them to militants or using for illegal activities like extortions on their own.
After the arrest of two police personnel yesterday, Rajouri police today arrested two more policemen from Poonch district, one of whom was posted in Surankote police station and another in CID (Counter Intelligence) Cell in Mendhar.
With these arrests, Rajouri police have arrested a total of four police personnel during past two days amidst indications that more arrests and recoveries could be on cards. “We are not ruling out involvement of more police personnel in the racket,” official sources said.
Two police personnel, who were arrested today, have been identified as Mohammad Yusuf, Selection Grade Constable (SGC) son of Mohammad Ayub, a resident of Balakote, Mendhar, presently posted at police station Surankote and Mohammad Bashir, a Special Police Officer (SPO) son of Inayat Shah, a resident of Dharana, Mendhar, posted in CID (CI) Cell at Mendhar.
Two policemen, who were arrested yesterday, included Ashfaq Ahmad son of Mohammad Yusuf, a resident of Nakka Panjgrain, Manjakote, a Follower posted in Kishtwar district but hadn’t joined duties there and Mohammad Zakheer alias Zaheer son of Hussain Mohammad R/o Rajdhani Bagla, Thanna Mandi, a Follower posted in District Police Lines (DPL), Rajouri.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Rajesh Kumar, when contacted said: “police was investigating the case further. Recoveries of illegal weapons from the police personnel is a serious issue. We have taken cognizance of the matter. Things would be clear in the next few days after interrogation of all arrested police personnel was completed”.
Sources said two police personnel arrested today from Surankote and Mendhar have been shifted to Rajouri police station, where they were being cross-examined with two already arrested police Followers.
The Followers arrested yesterday have claimed that they had purchased two illegal Chinese pistols, smuggled from Pakistan, from SGC Mohammad Yusuf and SPO Mohammad Bashir after paying them a hefty amount.
Confirming that arrests of four police personnel and recovery of two illegal Chinese pistols was just a tip of iceberg, sources said: “it appeared to be a well knit racket with more police personnel especially those putting up along the LoC misusing their uniform and smuggling weapons from Pakistan”.
The Chinese pistols are unauthorized weapons, which were commonly found in possession of militants. The weapons are smuggled from Pakistan.
Sources said the police personnel either had links with militants or were themselves operating as militants in the guise of `khaki’ to extort money from the people and commit other illegal acts.
Few months back, police had arrested a constable Abdul Rahim along with a consignment of Chinese grenades while another constable Shahnawaz was nabbed with a huge haul of drugs.
Sources said police parties were engaged in sustained interrogation of all four personnel to ascertain their links with militants and criminals. Hopefully, they added, a breakthrough would be made in next couple of days.
Sources said since the police personnel arrested today were residents of border areas of Balakote and Mendhar, there was a possibility that they had developed links across the LoC and were smuggling weapons from there either for the purpose of militancy or money by selling them.
A case against all four arrested police personnel has been registered at Rajouri police station.
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