Jammu, 14 November (H.S.): Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Tejinder Singh on Saturday visited the families of the two slain Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the remote Dechhan area of Kishtwar district, where senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma raised concerns with him over alleged security and operational lapses.

Sharma, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, questioned the circumstances under which the two SPOs were sent across difficult mountainous terrain to assist Army personnel, alleging that the decision exposed them to unnecessary risks and ultimately resulted in their killing.

SPOs Babi Chand (57) and Rashpal Kumar (45), both residents of Kiyar village, were found dead in the Dachhan forest early Thursday following a suspected terror attack, a day after they went missing from the remote forest area. The incident took place at an altitude of around 8,858 feet between Deharna and Kiyar villages, when the two SPOs were on their way to a security post at Basnand in adjoining Marwah tehsil.

Their service weapons — an INSAS rifle and a .303 rifle — along with magazines and ammunition were missing and are suspected to have been taken away by the attackers. Empty cartridges of Pakistani-origin armour-piercing steel-core ammunition were also recovered from the scene, adding to the security concerns surrounding the incident.

The Jammu Police chief, accompanied by a team of senior officers, visited Kiyar village to offer condolences to the families of the slain SPOs and review the ongoing anti-terror operation in the area.

In the past, eight residents of Kiyar were killed in a terrorist attack on the village in August 2000, followed by the killing of two more locals after their abduction in 2004.

Pointing to a hill separating Kiyar and Deharna villages, the BJP leader questioned the operational strategy, asking why the two men were required to cross the difficult terrain to reach the Army’s Temporary Operating Base (TOB), when the Army was capable of conducting its own operations.

He also questioned the decision to provide the SPOs with .303 and INSAS rifles before sending them into the operational area.

“What kind of operational strategy is this?” Sharma said before the IG, expressing concern over what he described as negligence and poor planning.

He further questioned why personnel from nearby police pickets were not utilised instead of sending the two SPOs across the hill.

Recalling earlier security arrangements, Sharma said around 40 security personnel were deployed in the area following previous incidents. He also referred to security arrangements made for the protection of minority communities following the 2000 massacre during visits by the then Defence Minister and Union Home Minister.

Sharma expressed concern over the security response following the killings, claiming that despite the seriousness of the incident, security personnel did not reach the affected area until the following morning.

He also sought clarification on the arrangements made to retrieve and bring back the bodies of the SPOs

The two SPOs were brave individuals who had sacrificed their lives for the nation, Sharma said, adding that their families and the village deserved adequate security and recognition of their sacrifice.

He alleged that “repeated incidents” had created a sense of insecurity among residents and claimed that attempts were being made to create fear within a particular community in the last village of Kishtwar.

The BJP leader urged the police administration to immediately re-establish a permanent police picket in Dechhan and redeploy the 40 personnel who had earlier been stationed in the area.

Referring to MLA Shagun Parihar’s remarks about local youth willing to defend their homeland, he suggested recruiting eligible candidates from the village to strengthen the police presence in the area.

Sharma alleged that former Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of terrorists were being appointed as SPOs.

He questioned the alleged association between an officer and OGW networks and demanded a thorough examination of the matter, along with strict action if the allegations were established.

Sharma said there was widespread resentment over the officer’s functioning and cautioned that any negligence in a sensitive area could aggravate tensions among communities.

He also questioned the progress of counter-terror operations, claiming that four terrorists were still active in the area despite several casualties among security personnel and local residents.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar