Srinagar: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Wednesday took over the security of Jammu and Srinagar airports from the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
J&K Police officers said the CISF takeover was long overdue, but the move was fast-tracked after the arrest of suspended deputy superintendent of police Davinder Singh in January for allegedly ferrying two militants, including a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander.
According to a J&K Police order, the police personnel posted at both the airports of the union territory were called back to their parent zones and so were the gazetted officers posted there.
From now on, commandants of the CISF who will be SP-rank officers will be in charge of the airports’ security, a senior CISF official told ThePrint.
The police security team at the airports was headed by a SP-rank officer.
“The induction order is yet to be received but we have been directed to take over the airports today (Wednesday). More will be made known once the takeover is complete,” said another CISF official.
Although the takeover was overdue, it was being delayed because J&K Police insisted on keeping their personnel deployed at the two airports.
The J&K Police, according to sources, advocated for the inclusion of local police officials in the security set-up of Srinagar and Jammu airports.
“The takeover never took off (until now) as the J&K government also believed that local components are extremely important for airports like in Srinagar and Jammu, owing to the law and order situation here,” said a senior police officer, who doesn’t want to be named.
Also read: Srinagar, Jammu and Leh airports among 5 airports closed as civilian air traffic suspended
CISF will take care of airport access and other areas
The police officer quoted above said: “After Singh’s arrest, the J&K Police’s view was not taken into account.”
He, however, added that a few police officials might continue being posted at the airports in “symbolic capacity”. The officer didn’t elaborate much on this.
J&K Police was, so far, responsible for the entire security of the airports, which included access units and anti-hijacking units.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), meanwhile, would continue to guard the outside areas of the airports.
“…from now on, the access and other areas will be taken care of by the CISF. The rest by the CRPF,” said the senior police officer.
Davinder Singh was posted at the Srinagar international airport and was part of the J&K Police’s anti-hijacking unit.
Singh was even part of the official team that received a delegation of foreign dignitaries that was visiting Kashmir in January for a briefing on the situation in the Valley, five months after the scrapping of Article 370.
Singh was also seen in a group photograph in which the foreign dignitaries were also present, which caused a lot of embarrassment to the central and the J&K administration.
Also read: How J&K cop Davinder’s ‘covert mission lie’ was exposed by militant he was ferrying