List Of Active Militants And Those Present Across LoC Being Updated

Jammu: Rocked by militant attacks in the recent past, Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district is updating the list of ultras whose whereabouts are not known and those who are presently in Pakistan or Pakistan-administered-Kashmir (PaK), police said on Friday.

The decision in this regard was taken at a crime review meeting of police sub divisions of Kishtwar and Atholi, chaired by Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Shakti K Pathak, they said.

It said the meeting held a threadbare discussion on the police station wise list of militants whose whereabouts are not known and those who are presently in Pakistan or PaK.

“During the meeting, variation was found in the list of such militants maintained by the District Police Office (DPO), Kishtwar, and police stations of the district. In order to update the list of such militants, various instructions and directions were imparted among the Sub-Divisional Police Officers and Station House Officers concerned for necessary action,” the police said.

The district, which falls in Jammu region, was rattled by the killing of state secretary of BJP Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar on November 1 last year, followed by assassination of senior RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his security guard inside a health centre on April 9.

Besides the killings, militants also snatched the service rifle of a policeman in the district on March 8, days before police circulated pictures of seven wanted militants and announced a cash reward and a job for anyone providing information leading to their arrest or killing.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu, M K Sinha recently said at least 10 local militants — eight belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen and two affiliated with Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) — were active in the district, which also witnessed two encounters between militants and search parties in Marwah area on May 31 and Keshwan forest on June 21.

While two special police officers were injured in the brief Marwah gunfight, the militants managed their escape after another brief encounters in Keshwan forest, though one of them was believed to have got injured.

According to police sources, about three dozen local militants have crossed the LoC and are presently living in Pakistan or PaK.

The police said the meeting discussed all sensitive and sensational cases with SSP personally checking the case files of such cases and directed the Investigation Officers concerned for speedy disposal of these cases.

“The investigating staff was directed to conduct the investigation of cases with zeal, dedication and with transparency at the earliest and bring the pendency to the minimum,” the police said, adding the police station staff was also advised to conduct foot patrolling in their respective jurisdictions.

The meeting also discussed the measures to improve the quality of investigation of accident cases, motor vehicle theft, burglary, NDPS Act and other cases.

Besides, missing persons, inquest proceedings, arrest of absconders and action taken under preventive measures were also reviewed, the police said, adding the issue of public complaints pending with police sub-division were also discussed.

Meanwhile, the SSP Kishtwar advised the police officers posted in the district in various capacities to provide an honest, clean and fair policing to the general masses.

He directed that there is zero tolerance to corruption, crime and indiscipline at any level.(PTI)