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SPOs to be withdrawn from security detail of protected persons after decamped SPO joins militancy

A PICTURE OF THE SEVEN RIFLES that went VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police Wednesday issued an order that special police officers (SPOs) should be withdrawn from the security detail of “protected persons”.

“All SPOs except SPO drivers presently attached with protected persons be immediately withdrawn,” reads an order sent to all district senior superintendents of police and SSP security Jammu/Kashmir.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.

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 Jawahar Nagar.

“I believe SPOs can never perform the duty of a personal security officer who is trained and a professional policeman,” Khan said.

Besides, Range DIGs have been asked to furnish list of all SPOs to the headquarters by October 5.

ALSO READ: Two Kashmiri students detained in alleged connection with SPO who decamped with nine arms: Report

“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.

Earlier, Adil Bashir, the Special Police Officer who had decamped with with seven rifles and a pistol from the residence of a PDP MLA, Aijaz Ahmad Mir, in Srinagar had joined militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

Reports came in after pictures of the officer posing with a gun along with other members of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, including top commander Zeenat-ul-Islam went viral on social networking and messaging websites.

A photograph in which Adil is seen wielding a gun also has a Hizb ul Mujahideen tag written in Urdu.

Earlier on Friday night, police said that Bashir has fled with seven rifles and a licensed pistol of the legislator Aijaz Ahmad Mir from his residence at Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar.

A picture of the seven rifles has also gone viral on social media.

The police have constituted a Special Investigation Team with superintendent of police South Srinagar as its head to investigate Jawahar Nagar case.

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