Jammu and Kashmir cop accused of stealing 8 guns seen with Hizbul militants in photo

A special police officer (SPO) in Jammu and Kashmir who ran off with firearms from a PDP lawmaker’s house in Srinagar appears to have joined militant group Hizbul Mujahideen. According to a photograph being circulated on social media, Adil Bashir is seen in the company of four Hizbul militants holding two weapons.

Adil Bashir had told guards at the PDP lawmaker Aijaz Ahmad Mir’s official residence in the city’s high-security area that he had come to clean the house as the legislator was supposed to return later on Saturday evening.

By evening, however, the SPO disappeared with seven AK-47 rifles and lawmaker Ajaz Mir’s licensed pistol.

Dilbagh Singh, the Jammu and Kashmir police chief, said the police had some leads about people who might have helped him and “are working on those leads”.

In the last few years, there have been several incidents of policemen and SPOs deserting the force along with weapons to join militant groups have been reported. This is the first time that a policeman has deserted the force with such a large number of weapons.

The incident comes against a backdrop of militant threats to special police officers in the state to quit the force. Some of them did give in to the threats and posted videos announcing their intention to resign.

There are about 30,000 SPOs in the state.

First Published: Oct 01, 2018 12:47 IST