Cops’ deft handling helped de-radicalise Srinagar youth

Majid Jahangir

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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 5

Like many new-age militants, Mir Tufail Qadeer (18) announced on the social media that he had joined militant ranks by posting a picture of himself in Army fatigues and holding a rifle. In this case, however, the police were able to bring him back to the mainstream soon.

Police sources said that Tufail Mir was kept in custody for a few days where he was “counselled and deradicalised”.

In the past nine months, security forces have brought back 32 youths, including Tufail, to lead normal lives after joining militancy.

Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid said that since September last year, 32 boys, who had joined militancy, had been brought back to lead normal lives.

In Tufail’s case, the police were able to bring him back in just seven days. After the boy’s picture surfaced, the police stepped up investigation to know his whereabouts. They got to know through “their channels” that the teenage boy shuttled between Shopian and Kulgam districts in south Kashmir along with a group of three militants.

“After the lead, we worked along with the family of the boy to bring him back and we were successful in arresting him from Srinagar,” said a police officer. “The boy’s family played an important role in his return,” the police officer added.

The officer said that Tufail was “too much radicalised” when he was arrested on Tuesday. “After his arrest, we counselled him to ensure he refrains from indulging in more violence,” he added.

The police officer said they did not treat the boy as a “militant” and his “stay was made comfortable” in police custody. A family member of the boy confirmed he had returned home.

“Tufail is with his family and was released by the police on Thursday,” the family member said.

Tufail, a student of Government Degree College, Bemina, had gone missing on May 24 and was involved in a stone-throwing case last year, when massive protests broke out over the killing of militant Burhan Wani.