JKP looks at DSP's killing as militants' plot to take revenge

Jammu, May 31 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Police are looking at the killing of its DSP Shaily Singh, in an encounter near Bhaderwah town of Doda district last evening as a militant plot to take revenge, official sources said.

''We can not rule out the chances of a well planned strategy of militants behind the killing of DSP Shaily Singh,'' highly placed sources in police told UNI.

Mr Shaily Singh, posted as DSP Operations, Jammu, was on the hit list of militants as he had been the ''terror for the terrorists'' in the state, they said.

Yesterday morning, sources said, the officer, along with 17 police personnel -- all in civil dresses -- rushed to Doda following the Intelligence Bureau's (IB) specific input that a group of four to six militants was moving from Srinagar to Bhadarwah in a TATA Sumo car.

They followed the militants, reportedly traveling in thecar with 'BSNL' lable on its rear view mirror from some distance.

In a bid to trap the militants and capture them alive, the DSP tried to enter the house, but was fired upon heavily, killing him on the spot, sources said.

''Generally the militants do not carry arms or ammunition with them during their such public movements, but here it was unprecedented.

''So here the officer, who was leading his men from the front, fell prey to the militants' who fired burst at him when he attempted to enter the house where they (militants) were hiding,'' sources said.

Shaily Singh was known as ''Robinhood'' in Police circles for his participation in several successful operations against militants in Kashmir, Doda and other areas of the state.

Last month, he had foiled a plot to assassinate Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in a public rally at Ramban and apprehended four people.

He was also the key person behind the killing of top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Abu Tallha in an encounter in Kathua district couple of months ago.

During his 13-year-long career in uniform, where Shaily Singh was inducted as an Inspector after he lost Inspector father to the militancy in 1993, he had been behind the killings of about 500 ultras at various places of postings in the state.

He spent all his service at militancy-infested areas.

UNI