41-year-old SP Pani is youngest Kashmir IGP

Tribune News Service

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Srinagar, February 12

Swayam Prakash Pani took over as Inspector General of Police, Kashmir zone, on Monday. He took over from Munir Khan, who was recently promoted as Additional Director General of Police.

A 2000-batch IPS officer, Pani, 41, is the youngest officer to hold the Kashmir IGP post, a police spokesman said.

Pani, a highly decorated police officer, has held many key positions. He has also served in the Intelligence Bureau and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Pani was part of the NIA investigation team which questioned Lashkar-e-Toiba operative David Coleman Headley in 2010 and later filed the chargesheet against the accused.

Before his posting as IGP, he was holding the charge of Deputy Inspector General of Police, south Kashmir. During his tenure as DIG, top militant commanders were killed in encounters in the region.

In a brief ceremony at Zonal Police Headquarters, Srinagar, Pani took over the charge of IGP, Kashmir, from Munir Khan.

“The outgoing Kashmir police chief Khan had a huge role in ensuring peace and normalcy in the Valley. He took great interest in the welfare of jawans,” the spokesman said.