SRINAGAR: In the aftermath of a Special Police Officer Adil Bashir (SPO) stealing eight weapons from the residence of a PDP MLA in Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir police has ordered that SPOs should not be deployed as Personal Security Officers (PSOs) of protected persons and also questioned the PDP legislator Aijaz Ahmad Mir.
"It has been observed that some SPOs are performing PSO duties for protected persons. It is not in accordance with the security norms as SPOs are not trained to perform PSO duties," reads an order issued by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Security and Law and Order, Muneer Ahmad Khan.
The order has directed all district senior superintendents of police and SSP security Kashmir and Jammu that no police unit/district SSP should deploy any SPO for PSO duties. "All the SPOs (except drivers) presently attached with protected persons be immediately withdrawn".
The order has asked Range DIGs to furnish list of all SPOs to the headquarters by October 5 positively.
"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.
Over 30,000 SPOs are working with J&K Police in the State.
The order came after an SPO, Adil Bashir, decamped with seven AK-rifles and a pistol from the PDP MLA, Aijaz Ahmad Mir's residence at Jawahar Nagar area of uptown Srinagar on Friday last. The PDP MLA was out of State when the loot took place.
The J&K police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the loot of weapons by the SPO.
Sources said the SIT questioned the PDP MLA from Wachi constituency in Shopian, Aijaz Mir on how he had recommended SPO Adil as his PSO and why his PSOs had not deposited weapons with local police units after he went out of station.
Confirming the police questioning, Aijaz in a Facebook post alleged that a policeman abused him while levelling serious allegations and accusations against his family.
"Is this policing? How can a Munshi (policeman) abuse a legislator in front of dozens of other policemen? Is this how Police probes things here by humiliating even legislators and start levelling baseless allegations," the PDP MLA alleged.
SPO Adil Bashir, who decamped with eight weapons has since joined militant ranks
His pictures with four Hizbul Mujahideen militants and the arms has gone viral on social media.