Hizbul Mujahideen posters were seen pasted on several walls here on Tuesday warning Special Police Officers (SPOs) to quit their jobs or face consequences.
“We Inform all those SPOs who have sold their soul to the devil and are working for Indian agencies to quit their jobs and lead a dignified life otherwise they know the consequences….” read the posters printed in Urdu.
The posters, bearing the stamp of HM district commander for Pulwama appeared in Karimabad area days after more than a dozen SPOs publically announced their resignations during Friday congregational prayers in Tral.
District police chief, Chandan Kohli, however, said that the matter has not come to his notice.
The posters have also carried a warning for people in general for participating in August 15 functions, and expressed the disgust over the “growing waywardness and tippling in the society”, warning those who are involved in such activities.
“We have reports that some people promote (alcohol) drinking and we warn them a last time to desist from such activities before we take action,” the posters say.
According to official figures 499 SPOs have been killed across Kashmir in different incidents so far.
The SPOs have been engaged on paltry emoluments since 1995. Their primary role, according to official guidelines, include traffic regulation, disaster management or meeting any emerging requirement in tourism sector.
However, the SPOs have often been deployed during anti-militancy operations as well.
On August 6 police began an on-line crowd funding initiative to help the SPO victims’ families financially a day before one more SPO Ashiq Ahmad, a resident of Pastuna village in south Kashmir’s Tral village was shot at and injured.