SRINAGAR: Affirming that his connection with the police is “eternal,” the outgoing Director General of Police (DGP) of J&K, Dilbagh Singh, stated on Tuesday that if J&K police had let their guard down during Riyaz Naikoo’s ‘terror,’ Zakir Moosa’s ‘ghost,’ and Geelani’s rigidity, “we can only wonder what the situation in the UT would be today.”
Addressing the farewell ceremony at Armed Police Complex Zewan, Srinagar, DGP Dilbagh Singh, reflecting on the highs and lows of his career on the last day of his service, asserted that his relationship with the police is everlasting.
“A policeman remains a policeman,” he said, emphasising that he has witnessed significant developments throughout his journey from SSP to DIG and ultimately DGP. “When I was appointed as DGP, I thought there were many others who could have been chosen for the post. I thanked God for my selection. As DGP, I always wore a smile and wanted to see the same on the faces of my officers,” DGP Singh remarked.
Over the past 30 years, the police have courageously faced a series of challenges and carried out their duties with professionalism. “During separatist-called shutdowns, on the desolate streets, a police officer was always on duty,” the outgoing DGP noted.
He emphasised that if the police had relaxed their vigilance during the peak of “Riyaz Naikoo’s terror, Zakir Moosa’s ghost, and Geelani’s rigidity,” he could only speculate on the current situation in J&K.
“There was a time when there were numerous terrorist outfit commanders, and their terror was omnipresent. In 2018, there were threats to SPOs, and many resigned. Today, we cannot find the name of a single terrorist commander. All SPOs have returned to their duties,” Singh said.
During his tenure as the UT’s police chief, he maintained a close and friendly relationship with the Corps commanders of Kashmir and Jammu. “While we were striving to rescue DySP Humayun Muzammil alive from the Gadool encounter site, we were also endeavouring to bring back the Colonel and Major.”
Regarding his connection with the police force, the DGP quoted a song from Salman Khan’s Bollywood movie ‘Bodyguard’ – “Teri Meri Prem Kahani Hai Badi Mushkil, Dou Lafzon mei ye bayan nah o payay.” “My connection with the police cannot be summed up in just two words,” Singh stated with a smile. Recollecting an incident on the day of his wedding, he shared, “An encounter erupted in the vicinity, and we had to sleep on the floor.”
Regarding the current peaceful situation in the Valley, DGP expressed that the challenge is not just to establish peace but to preserve it as a lasting feature. “We have been successful in ensuring peace, and we must keep it intact. The threat of terror has not vanished. We need to remain vigilant and active,” he said, extending his best wishes to the police force for their future endeavours. (KNO)
