Arrested DySP Singh to be treated as militant: IGP Kumar

Srinagar, Jan 12: Jammu and Kashmir police has decided to treat Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP) Davinder Singh as a “militant” after he was arrested along with two Hizbul Mujahedeen commanders in South Kashmir.

Singh, who is presently posted in anti-hijacking wing at Srinagar Airport, was arrested along with Hizbul commander Naveed Babu and Altaf when they were traveling in a car in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday.

Police sources said Singh was trying to drive the commanders possibly out of the valley when their car was intercepted by the security forces. Two AK-47 rifles were recovered in a subsequent raid at Singh’s house.

“We consider DySP Singh’s involvement as a heinous crime and he will be dealt in the same manner as other arrested militants,” Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, told reporters on Sunday.

Kumar said Singh, who headed many anti-militancy operations, has been booked under different sections of law. “His interrogation is currently underway and action will follow on the basis of outcome of the investigation. He has been booked under FIR no. 5/2020, Section 7/25 of Indian Arms Act, ¾ explosive acts and section 18,19,20,29 of Unlawful Activity Act,” he said.

Kumar said it was a big operation and many agencies were involved in making it successful. “Security forces, Police IB, Raw and other agencies have been involved since the case is a sensitive issue. SP Shopian got a lead about presence of two militants in I10 vehicle, which was on way to Jammu from Shopian.  SP Shopian informed me and then accordingly naka was led by DIG south Kashmir. After checking the vehicle, two militants were apprehended along with one of our DYSP and OGW who is an advocate by profession”, he said.

IGP said security forces recovered weapons from the militants and busted their hideout in Shopian. “Militants had fled from the hideout after learning about the arrest of their two associates,” he said.

Kumar said Naveed Babu was in their “wanted” list for his involvement in “the attack on truckers, civilians and policemen”.   “Naveed was Hizbul Mujahideen’s district commander for Shopian and subordinate to Riyaz Naikoo. He was a police constable who decamped with four weapons to join militancy in 2017. There are 17 FIRs registered against him and was the most wanted militant. He set orchards on fire in the district and threatened people in south Kashmir. The other two apprehended included an advocate who was an OGW,” he said.