Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 3 : Days after a Special Police Officer (SPO) decamped with weapons from PDP legislator’s residence, police today directed all the Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and SSP Security of Jammu and Kashmir to withdraw the SPOs from performing Personal Security Officer (PSO) duties.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order, Munir Ahmad Khan issued an order, which said: “It has been observed that some SPOs are performing PSO duties with the protected persons which is not in accordance with the security norms as SPOs are not trained to perform PSO duties”.
“It is here by ordered that henceforth no unit/SSP shall deploy any SPO for PSO duties and all this SPO (except drivers) presently attached with protected persons be immediately withdrawn”, read the order.
“Range DIGs will furnish list of all SPOs withdrawn to this headqaurters by 5th of October 2018 positively. In case any SPO doesn’t report back, honorarium may not be released and nominal roll of such SPOs be furnished to this headquarters, so that their disengagement orders are issued,” the order read.
The order was issued after an SPO who was one of Personal Security Officers (PSOs) of legislator MLA Aijaz Ahmad Mir, deserted the Police and joined Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit along with 7 AK-47 rifles and one pistol.
Those who were in the personal security of the legislator included four SPOs- Azad Ahmad, Asif Ahmad Rather, Imran Ahmad and Rayees Ahmad – besides SPO Adil Bashir who was working as cook in the house of Mir. The legislator had three more PSOs – Selection Grade Constable Abdul Hamid, Constable Manzoor Ahmad and Constable Farooq Ahmad.
There are over 30, 000 SPOs working with the Jammu and Kashmir Police who are not trained by the department and are not meant for the security duty but they have been posted on security duty with the protected persons across the State.
The militants for last few months have been asking these SPOs to resign from the Police Department as they feel that they are working in anti-militancy operations and pass on vital information about militants to the security forces. However, Police feared that some of them have links with the militants and are passing information to the militants.
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