Militants kill 3 J& K cops, MHA denies resignation reports
In a gory act, three special police officers ( SPOs) were abducted and subsequently killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Shopian district on Friday, evoking outrage across the country. The cowardly act came after a video by an offshoot of Hizb- ul- Mujahideen ( HM) surfaced on social media on Tuesday, asking policemen to quit within four days or face death.
Authorities in J& K blamed the killing of the SPOs — Firdous Ahmed Kuchay, Kulwant Singh and Nisar Ahmed Dhobi — on Hizb- ul- Mujahideen ( HM) and Lashkar- eTayyaba ( LeT), and said that a massive manhunt was underway to capture the perpetrators, dead or alive. “I assure you, those involved in this act of cowardice will be brought to justice soon,” inspector general of police ( Kashmir range) S. P. Pani said.
Soon after the SPOs killing, some news reports said that six J& K policemen and SPOs had resigned, four of whom posted their resignation videos on social media. In one of these videos, a policeman can be heard saying, “My name is Irshad Ahmad Baba and I was working as a constable in the police. I have tendered my resignation”.
However, a statement issued by the ministry of home affairs ( MHA) in Delhi denied that any policeman has resigned in J& K after the kidnapping and murder of three SPOs. Calling the reports “untrue and motivated”, it termed them as false propaganda by certain “mischievous elements”. J& K police said that the three SPOs were found murdered after they were
Various mainstream political parties and their leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have strongly condemned the murder of three Special Police Officers ( SPOs) after their kidnapping by militants in southern Shopian on Friday.
CPM’s state secretary and legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said, “It is unfortunate and tragic. The slain policemen were not on combat duty but were abducted unarmed from their homes”.
He asked as to whose ‘ cause’ was being served by such killings? He said, “Whether a person is killed by the bullet from one side or the other side, it is a Kashmiri who is losing a life. For how long such killings will continue?”
Whether a person is killed by the bullet from one side or the other side, it is a Kashmiri who is losing a life. For how long such killings will continue?
— M. Y. TARIGAMI, CPM leader
Former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah expressed profound grief over the killings.
“We strongly condemn this cowardly attack and express our solidarity with the families of slain SPOs. We also pray for peace to the departed souls”, the Abdullahs said in a joint statement.
However, Peoples’ Democratic Party ( PDP) president and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, said that condemning the killings will not bring any solace to the families of the victims.
The former chief minister tweeted, “Three more policemen have lost their lives to militant bullets. Outrage, shock & condemnation will be expressed by all of us on expected lines. Unfortunately, it brings no solace to the families of the victims.”
She also sought to blame the Centre’s “muscular” campaign in Jammu and Kashmir for continuation of such incidents.
In another tweet, the PDP leader said, “Clearly, with the rise in kidnapping of police personnel and their families, Centre’s muscular policy is not working at all. Dialogue, the only way forward seems to be a distant dream for now.”