Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has “forfeited” the Sher-e-Kashmir Police Medal for Gallantry awarded to Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh, who has been arrested for helping terrorists travel out of JK, an official order said.
It said the suspended officer’s act amounted to disloyalty and brought the force into disrepute.
According to the order, Singh was awarded Jammu and Kashmir’s highest police award in 2018.
Police arrested Singh at Mir Bazar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday, along with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists Naveed Baba and Altaf, besides a lawyer who was operating as an overground worker for terror outfits.
“Consequent upon the arrest of Mr. Davinder Singh on January 11 while trying to assist terrorist to travel outside J&K and recovery of arms and ammunition which amounts to disloyalty and conduct that has brought the force into disrepute, the Sher-e-Kashmir Police Medal for Gallantry, is hereby forfeited,” said the government order, signed by Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary (Home).
On Tuesday, police said searches were carried out at Singh’s residence here, next to the Army’s XV corps headquarters at Badami Bagh cantonment, where he had sheltered Naveed, Altaf and a new joinee in the banned terror outfit.
Two pistols, an AK rifle and a large quantity of ammunition were seized from his residence, they had said.
Also read: I must have lost my mind: Davinder Singh tells interrogators on his links to militants
I was in J&K working on some project in 1993. The IG was AS Mir, and DSP was Bhupinder Singh. It was common knowledge that the AIG Khan was offered honorary ISP, and was awaiting permission by JKLF.
Anyone who has worked with J&K police knows there is no white, and no black. Everything in the state is in various shades of grey.
A deeper investigation will bring to fold realities the government may not be ready to accept. The old adage holds. ‘One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.
For those who dispute, just check who were Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azad, even Veer Savarkar for a long time of his life, in the eyes of the British government.
We need an inclusive policy to bring all Indians into the mainstream. There is no short cut to secular democracy and an all-inclusive governance.
We lost nearly half of India in 1947 and blamed the British and the Congress. We need to ensure we don’t lose Kashmir. ‘Divide and rule’ will not work.