Srinagar
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday registered a case to probe suspended Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davinder Singh who was caught with two Hizbul Mujahideen militants last week along with arms and ammunition while they were travelling in a car, near Qazigund on the national highway. The central agency took over the probe on Saturday, two days after the Ministry of Home Affairs asked it to initiate the process of investigating the case.
“In this regard, a case was registered in PS Qazigund as FIR No. 05/2020 dated 11.01.2020 u/s 7/25 Arms Act, 3/4 Explosive Substances Act and s. 18,19,20,38, 39 of UA(P) Act by the J&K Police,” he said.
“After receiving MHA’s order, NIA has re-registered this case as RC no 01/2020/NIA and started the investigation,” said NIA spokesman in a statement.
The J&K Police had earlier recommended the NIA take over the case. Director-General of Police Dilbag Singh Wednesday said, “We have already recommended an NIA probe into the matter as things of wider magnitude may come out.”
“We do not believe in sheltering anyone… we show no leniency towards anybody involved in such crimes, irrespective of one’s rank or the organisation,” he added.
“Davinder Singh and the arrested militants have revealed during interrogation that the militants were hiding at Davinder’s residence in Srinagar’s Indira Nagar. A highly fortified locality, Indira Nagar is in Badamibagh Cantonment area and several top Army, police and civil administration officers, as well as politicians, live there,” The Indian Express quoted Police sources as having said.
The police later raided the residence and recovered two rifles. The police also conducted searches at nearly half a dozen other places.
