J&KL: SPO Decamps With MLA’s Weapons

A special police officer (SPO) decamped with eight weapons from MLA Wachi Aijaz Ahmad Mir’s residence in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening.

According to the reports, the SPO was guarding the residence of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislator in Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar.

The police told Newsclick that Adil Bashir Sheikh, 24, was engaged as an SPO since March 11, 2017. He was a resident of Zainapora, Shopian, and was posted as the personal security guard of MLA Wachi.

Police officials, in a statement, said that personal security officer of MLA Wachi approached the Rajbagh police station, and stated that the weapons of seven personal security officers, who are attached with MLA Wachi, have allegedly been missing from his residence at Jawahar Nagar. The missing weapons include seven AK-47 rifles and one pistol, which are licensed personal weapons of the MLA.

Soon after the incident, the police reached the spot, and filed an FIR. Investigation is underway, they said.

While speaking to local news gatherer Global News Service, SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray said that they are also investigating whether all rifles were decamped today or more than ten days back.

Meanwhile, a high alert has been announced across Srinagar district, and multiple checkpoints have been placed leading to South Kashmir.

A local told Newsclick that a huge deployment of the armed forces has been given the task to check vehicles in different areas of Srinagar district.

This is the second incident in the two months in which an SPO decamped with the weapons. Earlier, on August 26, SPO from Shopian district decamped with an AK47 rifle. SPO was identified as Showkat Ahmad, a resident of village Hermain, Shopian. The district has also witnessed killings of three SPOs earlier this week, followed by the resignation of over 40 SPOs in South Kashmir, according to sources.

Killing of the SPOs in South Kashmir has triggered fear among the cops. Last month, Hizbul Mujahedeen commander Riyaz Naikoo released an audio in which he warned the SPOs from Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama, and asked them to leave the job. In the audio, he mentioned that government of India is using Kashmiris against each other.

Many reports from South Kashmir said that after the killing of the three cops, militants reportedly barged into the houses of many SPOs, and asked them to file their resignation. The police have issued an advisory in which cops have been asked not to visit their families.