Arrested DSP’S alibi without evidence, say interrogators
Jammu & Kashmir officer’s claim to be working on counterterror operation did not check out
Newdelhi:investigators questioning Jammu and Kashmir police officer Davinder Singh said on Monday that the officer, who was arrested for allegedly escorting terrorists, claimed he was working on a plan to eliminate top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo but could provide no proof to support his assertion. Singh, who was suspended on Monday and his office sealed, is currently with the antihijacking wing of Srinagar airport and is not mandated to carry out undercover counterterror operations.
“There is nothing to support his claim, importantly none of the counterterror units operating in Jammu & Kashmir have backed his claim and neither was he in touch with them or tasked,” a senior official in the security establishment who didn’t want to be named said.
The two terrorists were identified as Hizbul Mujahedeen members Naveed Babu and Altaf. Babu is accused of being involved in the killing of 11 non-local workers including truck drivers and labourers in south Kashmir last year. The police also arrested a lawyer from Shopian, identified as Irfan, who was travelling with them.
Preliminary investigations indicated the two alleged terrorists stayed at Singh’s house in Srinagar’s Indra Nagar for about two days. On Saturday, when Singh’s vehicle was flagged down at a police check post on the highway leading to Jammu, Singh allegedly didn’t hide his identity but told policemen that he was travelling to Jammu with family members.
“Unfortunately for Singh, there was pin-pointed information with the J&K Police about terrorists travelling with Singh,” a second senior official in the security establishment, who did not want to be named, said.
An AK-47 rifle, two pistols, two grenades and lakhs of rupees were recovered from Singh’s res