Conflict

Sumbal Shootout: CRPF DG flies to Srinagar to reward troopers, ‘boost their morale’

Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar, the DG CRPF.

Srinagar: After Jammu and Kashmir police claimed that in a joint operation with para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) it killed four militants in Bandipora district on Monday morning, the Director General of CRPF has flown to Kashmir to meet his troopers.

Speaking to the FreePressKashmir, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of CRPF, Rajesh Yadav, said, “the DG sahib is about to reach Srinagar wherefrom he will directly drive to Sumbal.”

The headquarter of 45th battalion of CRPF is based in Sumbal.

Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar is DG CRPF.

The Director General of J&K Police, Dr Shesh Paul Vaid, yesterday morning claimed that four ‘Fidayeen’ attacked the CRPF camp but they were killed in retaliation around 5 am.

‘Fidayeen’ are suicide attackers of an armed group mostly belonging to Islamic faith. And the slain ‘Fidayeen’ are yet to be identified.

“The DG CRPF will be rewarding the troopers for their good job,” Yadav added.

He said that the visit of the top CRPF officer would “boost the morale” of the CRPF men.

The bodies of four slain ‘militants’ were taken to Baramulla and buried late last night in graveyard specially kept for unidentified militants.

However, people in Sumbal had demanded that the bodies be handed over to them yesterday but the demand was turned down resulting in clashes between civilian protestors and armed forces.

Besides rewarding the troopers involved in the Sumbal shootout, the DG CRPF Bhatnagar will interact with ‘Cheetahs’ of 45th and 44th Battalion.

It will be followed by a press briefing of the DG CRPF at its Sumbal headquarter.

The visit of DG CRPF follows the visit of Indian Army Chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, who spent at least three days in Kashmir last week along with his seven commanders to “boost the morale” of their soldiers.

In an unprecedented move, Gen Bipin even rewarded a Major rank officer of his army for tying a weaver in Budgam to his army jeep and parading him through at least twelve villages for around seven hours.

The incident happened on April 09 this year when by-polls for Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded historic low of 7 percent voting.

Recommending Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi for ‘Army commendation medal’, Gen Bipin lauded him for his “counter-insurgency efforts”.

Despite the fact, the inhuman act of Major Gogoi invited sharp reaction from people, rights activists and a few retired Indian army generals as well.

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