The Weekend Leader - Devinder Singh's arrest had nothing to do with anti-militancy op

Devinder Singh's arrest had nothing to do with anti-militancy op

Srinagar

13-January-2020

The story of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Devinder Singh, who has been booked by Jammu and Kashmir Police along with two other terrorists, reads like that of a person who fell from fame to shame.

He was arrested along with the dreaded terrorist Naveed Baba of Shopian district where he was ferrying him to winter capital Jammu in his private car.

Devinder Singh has been formally arrested and named as an accused terrorist in the FIR lodged by the police in Kulgam district.

Skeletons tumbled out of Singh's cupboard when interrogators found that he had been helping the terrorists by providing them hideouts in his residences at Srinagar and Jammu in addition to ensuring their safe passage during change of locations for carrying out subversive activities.

Top sources in the state police and the intelligence agencies have categorically denied that Singh was travelling with the two terrorists in his private car as part of any overt or covert anti-militancy operation or for facilitating the surrender of dreaded terrorist Naveed.

There are some basic facts which confirm that Singh was not at all acting in his line of duty when he was arrested by the police.

"He was travelling on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway towards Jammu when he was detained at Mir Bazaar in Kulgam district.

"There is no question of taking a valley operating terrorist for surrender to Jammu. He was posted in the anti-hijacking squad at the Srinagar international airport. His duties were confined to the airport security and he had nothing to do with anti-militancy operation.

"It is a clear case of police officer shaming his uniform after an apparently illustrious career," said a senior police officer.

Singh joined the Jammu and Kashmir Police as a Sub-Inspector in 1990. He was posted in the anti-militancy special operation group (SOP) where he was part of many successful anti-militancy operations.

He was promoted as an Inspector in 1994 and Deputy Superintendent of Police in 1999. He was also awarded the police medal for gallantry last year.

He had been posted in his ancestral Pulwama district before he was transferred to the anti-hijacking squad nearly one year ago.

His interrogation has revealed that he has also been providing hideouts to terrorists in his ancestral town of Tral in Pulwama district.

Sources said he has taken Rs 12 lakh for carrying the 2 terrorists to Jammu in private car when he was arrested on Saturday.

In addition to the five grenades recovered from his car when he was arrested along with the two terrorists, police also recovered an unaccounted for AK-47 rifle and cash for his residence in subsequent raids.

Singh's name had also surfaced in the media when the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru told the trial court in his defence that he had been tortured by this police officer and forced to carry those terrorists to Delhi, who carried out the Parliament attack.

Guru had alleged that Singh gave him money for hiring a flat in Delhi and buying a second hand car that was used by the terrorists during the Parliament attack.

--ians



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