JK police back on track, going all out against criminals

Srinagar Jan 27: With militancy-related incidents registering a decline in Jammu and Kashmir, the state police has decided to go all out against criminals, who were escaping after committing various offences including murder, burglary and cheating.

The criminals were committing crimes and the blame used to fall on the prevailing situation as police and other security forces were busy in counter-insurgency operations.

Now when the situation is improving and militancy-related incidents were registering a decline, the Jammu and Kashmir police has decided to go all out to eliminate crime, official sources said here.

They said during the past few years, police channalised its major resources against the criminals which has yielded encouraging results as was evident from the rate of convictions.

Besides unearthing fake encounters and registering cases against its own men, including some officers, police also solved half a dozen cases of rape and murder and hundreds of burglary and other crimes in the valley.

In twin border districts of Baramulla and Kupwara, which were most affected by the 19 year militancy, police solved a number of murder and other cases.

Recently, a court in Kupwara awarded life imprisonment to former militant Mohammad Sarwar Ganie, working with the security forces and imposed a fine of Rs one lakh for killing four members of a family and injuring others on May 11, 1999.

It was then claimed that some unidentified gunmen had entered their house and killed them.

Besides the conviction under section 302 RPC, the accused will have to undergo ten year rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 25,000 for commission of offense punishable under section 326 RPC.

A police spokesman said during the year 2007, 238 cases in Baramulla district ended up in convictions including three life imprisonments besides imprisonments ranging from a period of one to three years.

Similarly, during the Police Prosecution proceedings in Kupwara and Handwara district courts, 62 and 39 cases ended up in convictions respectively.

He said decrease in militancy-related incidents in north Kashmir has helped police to pay more attention to policing. Besides, it has facilitated in bringing back the investigation and prosecution skills in focus.

The spokesman added that after proper investigation and pleading a murder case in the court by police prosecutor one Mohammad Ramzan Dar was awarded life imprisonment in December last year.

In another case registered in Police Station Bandipora on April 10, 1988, just before the onset of militancy, another person was given life imprisonment after he killed a villager over land dispute.

UNI