ISLAMABAD – A decorated Indian officer has been arrested for helping totransport rebel militants in Kashmir, the police chief of the restive andhighly-militarised Himalayan province said Sunday.
Deputy superintendent Davinder Singh had worked for the police for decadesand was a member of an elite counter-insurgency force in the disputedterritory, which both India and Pakistan claim in full.
He was apprehended late on Saturday when his vehicle was pulled over at apolice checkpoint south of Srinigar, the region’s main city.
“The fast moving car was stopped and searched. Two wanted militants and ourofficer… and a third person were arrested in the operation,” Kashmirpolice chief Vijay Kumar told reporters.
Kumar said police and intelligence agencies were questioning Singh,accusing the officer of a “heinous crime”.
Security forces recovered guns and ammunition from several locations in thefollow up to the arrests, including from Singh’s residence in Srinagar.
Hours after the four men were detained, police killed three alleged rebelsduring a gunfight in southern Kashmir’s Tral district, where the arrestedmilitants were based.
One of those arrested was Naveed Baba, the deputy commander of the localrebel outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.
Baba had stolen four assault rifles and deserted the police force to jointhe militant group in 2017, according to police.
Singh had risen steadily through the ranks of the Kashmir securityapparatus during his career and was last year awarded a medal by the Indianpresident for his service.
But years earlier he was accused of forcing a man to help armed militantstravel to New Delhi in a deadly attack on the Indian parliament in 2001.
Twelve people including five attackers were killed in the attack, whichIndia blamed on Pakistan-based militant groups — prompting a months-longmilitary stand-off that brought the two nuclear-armed countries to thebrink of war.
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India had accused Pakistan based militant groups of launching the attackand resulted in a months-long military stand-off at the border withPakistan before both the armies retreated under international pressure.
Singh acknowledged in 2006 he had tortured his accuser, Mohammad AfzalGuru, while he was in custody, but the claims were not taken seriously byinvestigators. Guru was later convicted for his part in the attack andhanged.
Kumar told Sunday’s press conference that the allegations would now berevisited.
“We will ask him about the attack in the interrogation,” the police chiefsaid.
– Decades of rebellion –
Scores of militant groups in Kashmir have fought India’s administration ofthe territory since an armed rebellion broke out more than three decadesago.
Police and Indian troops are routinely accused of human rights abusesagainst the local population.
Security across the territory has been tightened since August 5, when Indiarevoked Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status, arrested the region’s toppolitical leaders and imposed a security and communications blockade.
Some restrictions have since been slowly eased but internet services forthe public remain blocked. -APP/AFP