J&K top cop Davinder Singh had ferried terrorists to Jammu last year too: Sources

New Delhi, Jan 15: Police officer Davinder Singh had taken the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists to Jammu last year too and facilitated their return to Shopian, interrogators have claimed.

Singh is alleged to have brought Naveed Babu, Mir Irfan and Rafi Rather from Shopian to Srinagar on Friday evening. On Saturday, they set out to Jammu, from where they were planning on going to New Delhi. However before he could leave, the police arrested him sources familiar with the developments confirmed to OneIndia.

Singh during his interrogation claimed that he was ferrying the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists to facilitate their surrender.

Officials investigating him say that he had made this made claim during interrogation, but we are investigating the same further. Interrogators say that he has denied the charges against him. He says that he was facilitating a big catch, but there are several inconsistencies in his statements, the officer also said.

However, sources also said that Singh was helping the terrorists cross the Banihal tunnel in lieu of money. The source also said that an amount of over Rs 10 lakh was agreed upon. Singh, however, denied the charge during interrogation. The source, however, added that Singh was not being truthful and he had no authorisation to organise a surrender.

The official cited above said that they were tracking their movements from Shopian. A police party in civvies was near his residence keeping a watch over their movements.

Meanwhile, he would be questioned for his alleged links with Afzal Guru. Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar while confirming the arrest of Davinder Singh said that the officer would be treated like any other terrorist.

He would be questioned for his links with Afzal Guru, Kumar said. He also said that another person, a lawyer by profession had also bee caught. Singh, on the other hand, is a decorated police officer who had served in the Special Operations Group and had earned a President's medal.

In the year 2004, Afzal Guru, who was lodged in the Tihar jail had written a letter to his lawyer. In the letter he had said that Singh then posted with the J&K Police's Special Operations Group had asked him to take Mohammad, a Pakistani national identified as one of those who carried out the Parliament attack to Delhi, rent a flat and purchase a car for him.

Afzal had also named another officer Shanty Singh, who along with Singh allegedly tortured him at the STF camp. He further mentioned that the name of Altaf Hussain the brother in law of SSP Ashaq Hussain, who first brokered his release with Davinder Singh and took him to the DySP.

Kumar said that the officer had worked in many anti-terrorist operations. He had however committed a heinous crime and hence was arrested, Vijay Kumar also said.

Sources tell OneIndia that the terrorists along with the DSP were arrested in a joint operation of the police and Army on the national highway near Mirbazar.

Two AK-47 rifles were recovered in a raid at the officer's residence, the source also added.

This is the first instance in which such a senior officer has been arrested along with terrorists.

The arrested terrorist, Syed Naveed Baba was wanted in several cases. He was an IED expert and was wanted in the killing and attacks on truckers and locals, security officials said.