NL Correspondent
SRINAGAR: In a significant development, no policeman joined the militancy in 2016 first time since 2012.
According to official figures of the Home Department, seven JK police personnel have joined militant groups in the last five years in the state, one each in 2012 and 2013, two in 2014 and three in 2015. But, no JK police personal as per the official figures have joined militancy in 2016, when around 90 youth joined militancy. Non joining of militancy by cops has given a major boost for security forces to fight with militants.
The highest number of local youths who joined militancy last year were from south Kashmir's four districts — Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian.
One among the seven policemen, were working as constable in the JK police and had joined militant group, before being arrested in 2012. He faces at least 20 cases in various police stations of Srinagar for being allegedly involved in militant activities.
A police official said, he is facing charges of having involved in militant activities between 2010 and 2012. “His involvement in militant activities came to the fore in 2012,” the police official said.
A cop, who is a native from Sopore joined militant ranks in 2014. He was arrested later detained under the PSA and subsequently released.
Another cop had joined a militant group in 2015 before he ran away with weapons from a minister's residence in Srinagar. He had later joined Hizbul Mujahideen. He was then killed in an encounter in 2016 in Shopian district.
In 2015, two SPOs of the JK police from the Doda district had joined a militant group and were later killed in an encounter with the forces at Gaddi Bhagwah in Doda.
However, there is no mention of two cops who had reportedly joined militant ranks before being arrested in 2015 and 2016.
A constable, whose name does not figure in the list of the Home Department, had gone missing in January 2016 with four service rifles. He was later arrested by the security forces in south Kashmir.
Another cop who had also joined militant group was also arrested in March 2016. He was also seen in a picture with a group of militants brandished with guns. But these is no mention of these two cops in these records.
