 Early Times Report
Doda, Sept 8: In a major security breach, two Special Police Officers (SPOs) escaped Tuesday along with their service weapons from district police lines Doda.
The duo identified as surrendered militants Riyaz Ahmed and Ghulam Mohammad alias Rafia Molvi managed to give slip to the security bandobast before escaping from the high security police lines.
One of them was carrying an AK-47 rifle and the other an INSAS rifle, official sources told Early Times.
They said Riyaz, son of Abdul Rashid, of Marmat, Doda had surrendered before the police in 1999 in Kathua while Molvi, son of Bashir Ahmed, of Shah Mohalla, Doda, laid down his arms in 2010 before joining the mainstream. As per rehabilitation policy for former militants, the duo was absorbed as SPOs in the police.
Meanwhile, a high alert was sounded and police feared that militants might have persuaded the duo to rejoin the ranks of militancy. Police teams were rushed to nearby locations to trace down the absconding SPOs, said sources. The police, army and other security agencies of adjoining districts of Ramban and Kishtwar have also been alerted.
Sources said call record details of both the SPOs were being scanned to find any possible lead about their whereabouts.
"Both the SPOs are familiar with the difficult routes of Doda and Kishtwar and could prove detrimental to peace and tranquility in the region," said sources.
The Doda police has registered an FIR (137/2015 U/S 7/27 Indian Arms Act, ¾ BEOP) into the incident.
Notably, a PSO of R&B Minister Altaf Bukhari decamped with official weapon some months ago and was later seen in photos and videos of Hizbul Mujahideen's poster boy Burhan Wani in south Kashmir. |
