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Kashmir DGP warns militants after attack on cop’s home: You too have families
The warning by DGP SP Vaid comes two days after militants ransacked the house of a police officer in Shopian and warned his family of serious consequences if he did not quit his job
The Jammu and Kashmir police chief on Wednesday warned of consequences for families of militants if relatives of policemen were attacked.
The warning by director general of police SP Vaid comes two days after 10 gun-wielding militants ransacked the house of a police officer in Shopian and warned his family of serious consequences if he did not quit his job.
“We have always been nice to the families of militants and have always asked them to get their children to surrender and rehabilitate, but they have attacked our families. They should realise their families live in Kashmir only,” he said.
Vaid said the militants beat up the family and broke many electronic gadgets and household items. The house belongs to a deputy superintendent of police currently posted in Srinagar. Police claimed the militants were local boys.
“The militants have been identified and an FIR has been registered,” he said.
Vaid said it was a rare incident as families of policemen were not usually harassed. “Policemen from Jammu and Kashmir have been in the line of fire since the 90s. But this is first time that militants have misbehaved with our families.”
During the summer unrest last year that began after the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, militants had issued several warnings to the local police to stay away from protests and not harass the participating youth.
In the days and months after Wani’s death, several policemen were killed in assaults that ranged from shootings, stone-peltings to grenade attacks. Just three days after the July 8 encounter, a local policeman drowned when protesters pushed his vehicle into a river.
In December last year, Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Rashid Bhat had warned family members of policemen. “If you touch our families, we will not spare yours,’’ he said in a video message
