Kashmir DSP Davinder Singh, Arrested With Two Terrorists Was To Receive Rs 12 Lakh For The Job

Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davinder Singh was arrested with two wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, after the Jammu and Kashmir Police intercepted an i-10 car in Kulgam area, where the cops had laid a nakka.

In a prudently planned operation, the car was caught by DIG Atul Goel, an officer who spent years in National Investigation Agency (NIA), before returning to his JKP cadre.

Decorated officer Davinder Singh was posted in the anti-hijacking unit of Srinagar airport before his arrest.

Fifty-seven-year-old Davinder Singh had been on the police's radar for several weeks. Details have emerged that he had sheltered three terrorists, arrested along with him, at his residenceright next to the Army's XV corps headquarters at Badami Bagh cantonment, officials said.

Singh, who was decorated with President Police Medal about four months ago, continued to be grilled by a team of police and intelligence investigators. His office at Srinagar airport, where he was posted as deputy superintendent of police in the anti-hijacking squad, was sealed, officials said as quoted by news agency PTI.

Piecing together the chain of events, the officials said the two terrorists -- self-styled district commander of banned Hizbul Mujahideen, Naveed Baba, and Altaf -- were taken to the officer's home on Friday by a lawyer Irfan, who the police said was an overground worker for terror groups.

Singh reported absent from duty on Saturday, the day he was apprehended by a team of policemen along with the other three at Mir Bazar on the national highway. The DySP had applied for leave from Sunday till Thursday, they said.

Police had carried out searches at his residence and seized two pistols and an AK rifle beside a large quantity of ammunition.

Officials said that Singh, whose name had been cleared for promotion as superintendent of police, is also likely to lose the gallantry medal that was awarded to him last year, the officials said.

A report by India Today says Singh would have received a sum of Rs 12 lakh for the job. When caught, he seemed to be quite comfortable in the company of Naveed, branded as a cop killer.

Not surprises here - the news of decorated cop Davinder Singh, named by Afzal Guru, caught along with militants - completely absent in TV media.

¡ª Tinu Cherian Abraham (@tinucherian) January 12, 2020

More important, was Davinder Singh a covert operative of the central Intelligence agencies? Was he involved in Pulwama type operations? Will there now be a rearguard action by Doval & his team to protect Davinder Singh? https://t.co/uQkO3WGeVi

¡ª Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) January 12, 2020

Caught on the wrong side of the law, all excuses by Singh failed to enthuse police officers who effected his arrest and carried out a search at his residence in Srinagar where he had kept Naveed and his associate Altaf, a recent joinee in the banned terror outfit, the officials said.

Initially, he repeatedly claimed that he was trying to win the confidence of the terrorists to catch a 'bigger fish' but could not substantiate the reasons for not following due protocol.

Singh's arrest may have affected the image of Jammu and Kashmir Police but former director general of police Kuldeep Khoda lauded the police force for not hesitating even once in arresting their senior officer.

"It is the JKP which has caught its own officer. They laid the trap as they do for other terrorists and managed to arrest the DySp. No one can cast any doubt on the police force which has been rendering service to the nation especially during the last 30 years of militancy in the valley," Khoda told PTI.