The police on Wednesday ordered that special police officers (SPOs) should be withdrawn from the security detail of “protected persons”.
“All SPOs except SPO drivers presently attached with protected persons be immediately withdrawn,” reads an order sent to all district senior superintendents of police and SSP security Jammu/Kashmir.
“Henceforth no unit/district SSP shall deploy any SPO for personal security officer (PSO) duties,” the order, issued by additional director general of police (ADGP) Munir Khan, said.
Besides, Range DIGs have been asked to furnish list of all SPOs to the headquarters by October 5.
“In case any SPO does not 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,” reads the order, which came days after an SPO, Adil Bashir, ran away with seven rifles and a pistol from the official residence of a PDP MLA , Aijaz Mir, from Jawahar Nagar area.
Khan said there were two reasons behind the move: to prevent accidental fire by these SPOs as they are not trained to shoot and to prevent any untoward incident like the one that occurred at Jawhar Nagar.
“I believe SPOs can never perform the duty of a personal security officer who is trained and a professional policeman,” Khan said.
The police have constituted a Special Investigation Team with superintendent of police South Srinagar as its head to investigate Jawahar Nagar case.
The SIT will investigate how the plan to loot weapons from the official residence of a legislator in Srinagar was executed by Adil Bashir, a resident of Zainapora Shopian, who has since joined Hizbul Mujahideen.
About the reports that MLA Wachi has been questioned by the police, Khan said he has not faced questioning yet. However, a police source said that MLA Wachi, Aijaz Mir is all set to face questioning by the police over as how the Adil Bashir was appointed as SPO and deployed with him (Mir) only.
“There is a dark side as far as appointment of SPO Adil is concerned. So the PDP lawmaker would be called for questioning and that’s for sure,” the source said.