Deserter cop held in Kulgam

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, March 3

A policeman who had decamped with four rifles and reportedly joined militant ranks, was arrested from the Kulgam area of south Kashmir today, the police said.Shakoor Ahmad Parray of Shopian, a constable posted as escort to a police officer in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag, fled his place of posting on January 16.

He had decamped with his service rifle and the weapons of three other policemen from Bijbehara Deputy Superintendent of Police Irshad Rather’s official residence. Rather had been undergoing treatment at the Army hospital in Srinagar after receiving grievous injuries during a militant attack.

Kulgam Superintendent of Police Mumtaz Ahmad confirmed Parray’s arrest. “He was arrested from the Bihibagh area of Kulgam district on specific inputs regarding his presence in the area,” he said.

The police recovered a pistol and two hand grenades from his possession. No rifle was recovered from his possession so far.

The police believed that he had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. Three of the four rifles he had decamped with were subsequently recovered from three of his accomplices, who had joined militant ranks.

Abid Ahmad Bhat, Gazi Fayaz and Aqib, Parray’s childhood friends and residents of Kanhama, his native village in Shopian, had later been arrested in separate operations from various areas of the district.