Missing cop has joined militant ranks, says police
Srinagar: Another cop hailing from South Kashmir’s Shopian area has reportedly deserted the police and joined militant ranks. The cop whose gun wielding picture is doing rounds on the internet has as per reports joined the Lashkar e Toiba (LeT).
According to the police sources, Ishfaq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Heff village of Shopian, has deserted the force after he was deputed for attending a training programme in Kathua.
“I can confirm you that Dar has joined militant ranks,” Inspector general of police (IGP) Kashmir Range, Munir Ahmad Khan said.
Reports said that Dar has joined Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit, However, police has refused to comment on the issue regarding the outfit Dar as joined.
Dar was posted in Budgam district and was currently undergoing training in Kathua district of Jammu region. Police said that he took leave earlier this week from the training centre.
He returned home and went missing from there, following which his family lodged a missing report in a police station yesterday.
Pertinently, five cases of desertion were reported in this year alone. In January this year, Shakoor Ahmad Parray deserted the police force on January 16. He fled along with four service rifles. Parrey was posted as Personal Security Officer (PSO) to Sub-Division Police Officer, Bijbehara, DSP Irshad Ahmad Rather at the time he deserted the force.
He was later arrested from Kulgam district of south Kashmir along with two hand grenades and a pistol.
A month after, Parray left the police force, another cop posted in old Srinagar decamped with his service rifle. Reyaz Ahmed Shah son of Abdul Gani was posted at police station Rainawari in old Srinagar when he fled along with his rifle last night on February 6. Shah, who surrendered three days later in front of Budgam police officials, was a resident of Khan Sahib area of the district.
In the month of May, 2017 Naveed Mushtaq, Jammu and Kashmir Police constable decamped with four assault rifles and joined Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit. A resident of Shopian district in South Kashmir, Shah had joined the police force as a constable in 2012.
Two months later, a Territorial Army jawan deserted his unit in Baramulla and joined militants ranks.
Zahoor Ahmad Thakur fled away with an AK 47 rifle and ammunition from 173 Territorial Army unit in Gantamulla area of the district. Later, Hizbul Mujahideen in a statement to the press claimed that he joined them.
KV Correspondent
