More than dozen SPOs resign under pressure from militants

SRINAGAR: More than dozen special police officers (SPOs) announced their resignation on Friday evening under pressure from militants.

SPOs from four villages of Tral in Pulwama district — Postuna, Luraw Jageer, Nadergam and Batgund — made announcement of their resignation through the clerics of local mosques.

SPOs and local policemen have been receiving death threats from past one month. Three SPOs were also abducted and later left with a warning to resign from their job.

Besides Hizbul Mujahideen, Tral also has a presence of Ansar Gazwatul Hind led by Zakir Musa.

Recently, Hizbul Mujahideen had pasted posters in several villages of Tral, asking SPOs and local policemen to resign from their jobs or face consequences.

Awantipore superintendent Zahid Malik said they are verifying the reports. “It seems to be a propaganda by the militants and their sympathisers.”

However, locals said that SPOs from Postuna, Luraw and Nadergam announced their resignation at local mosques through the clerics on Friday.

“Even today, one SPO from Batgund village announced his resignation at a local mosque. Everybody knows the names of the SPOs who have resigned. This is for the first time when more than 10 SPOs have resigned in past two-three days,” a local villager of Batgund in Tral said.

Last month, one SPO was abducted by militants and was released after family made an appeal saying that he has left his job. Later, two more SPOs were beaten by the militants and left with a warning to resign from their jobs.

Last month, Saleem Shah, who had been working as a special police officer and was promoted, got killed in Qaimoh in Kulgam district. Another police constable Javeed Ahmad Dar was also abducted from his house at Vehil in Shopian district and later killed by the militants nearby. Police, however, said that three militants involved in the killing of Shah were neutralised within hours.

Earlier, operational commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo had asked policemen to resign from their jobs or face consequences. Officials said that currently more than 30,000 SPOs are working with Jammu and Kashmir police at remuneration of ₹5,000 to ₹6,000.

The officials said SPOs are not regular policemen and could be disengaged any time, adding that SPOs who have served for three years and have worked in operations could be engaged as regular policemen only after senior officers recommend them for the engagement.

LOCAL SPECIAL POLICE OFFICERS AND POLICEMEN HAVE BEEN RECEIVING DEATH THREATS FROM MILITANTS TO RESIGN FROM THEIR JOBS FROM PAST ONE MONTH