Conflict

Surrender and we will ensure a safe passage: Police, Army, CRPF to militants

Adil Hussain Dar (standing), the surrendered militant being presented in front of the media. (FPK Photo)

‘We could have killed Adil, but we wanted him to join the mainstream’

‘There is an influx of JeM cadres in South, who are getting into Fidayeen mode’

‘Biggest incentive to those who ensure surrender’

Srinagar: In a joint presser, the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Army (Victor Force) announced that a safe passage would be given to all those militants who want to surrender.

They also said that ‘officers who make the militants surrender will be incentivized as surrender is considered as the biggest achievement by the security agencies’.

In the press conference, Inspector General of Police Munir Khan while presenting the militant who surrendered during the Kulgam encounter said that they could have killed him but the forces wanted to give him another chance and ‘join the mainstream’.

“The operations in Shopian and Kulgam were different this time. In Shopian, in spite of the fact that one of the militants, Adil, a local guy, who joined militancy three months back was firing during the course of the encounter. He was firing at the forces, he lobbed a grenade at the forces, and somehow he lost balance. He could not fire more. He could have been killed by the forces. But we preferred to give him a chance to live, to come back to the mainstream. We preferred that he should join his parents again. That is why we opted to catch him alive,” said Khan.

Khan was flanked by GOC Victor Force Major General B.S Raju and IG, Operations CRPF.

Khan added, “With a very clear message to others who have lured into all this, that if they come back, we will receive them with open arms. It’s not necessary that it can happen during encounters only. They can come even now and join the mainstream.”

Khan maintained that the two killed militants didn’t relent and opted to fight a lost battle.

The arrested over ground worker identified as Arif, who was arrested during the encounter in Khduwani, was also presented in front of the media.

Khan again pointed out that the forces had all the reasons to ‘knock him off’. However he was captured alive as he had no weapon.

IGP Khan pointing towards the arrested ‘over ground worker’ Arif. (FPK Photo)

“Another guy Arif, an established and a chronic Over Ground Worker (OGW), was the life line for the militants in that area. There were all the reasons to knock him off during the encounter. But he was not having a weapon, so we did not kill him,” IGP informed.

He further added, “Nobody would have questioned or raised a finger if he was killed because he was with the militants and this was not for the first time that he was arranging logistics for them. He is a habitual and established OGW, but there was no weapon, so we did not kill him.”

Khan pointed out that this policy of allowing ‘terrorists’ to come back into the mainstream is what a ‘disciplined force does unlike terrorists’.

“This is the difference between a disciplined force and a terrorist. There terrorists kill our men when they are on Chuti (leave) at their homes with their parents and playing with their friends. They hit them and kill them,” Khan said.

While speaking about the OGW network in South, Khan said, “There is no such thing as OGW. They are militants without weapons.”

He added, “Militants engage such characters who have a history. They engage them for specific killings. So we are looking for them also. It’s not a new network. It has been happening for many years now.”

The GOC Victor Force Major General B.S Raju while reiterating Khan’s  appeal for surrender said that ‘security agencies will ensure a safe passage to all those who will decide to lay their arms’.

“I would like to make an appeal. When I look at these cameras, I am looking at the brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers, whose wards have joined militancy or who are about to join. I would like to tell them not to allow them to go on the path of violence as that has taken the whole process nowhere in the valley. It only leads to misery to the family and the community at large,” Raju said.

He added, “We are also appealing that if anybody wants to surrender, we will ensure a safe passage and that is an assurance directly from all the security agencies. And Adil is a living example of that.”

The GOC also informed that it took them nearly five hours to convince Adil to surrender.

“The Kulgam operation was based on a very accurate input given by the police. It took us nearly five hours of hard talk to make Adil surrender. It was around one in the night that he came out of the house and laid down his arms. We duly appreciate courage the individual took to come out,” he said.

Raju also admitted that there is an influx of Jaish-e-Mohammad militants in the South of Kashmir however he added that the forces are equipped with the means to tackle them.

IGP Munir Khan (left) and GOC Victor Force Major General B.S Raju. (FPK Photo)

“It is a fact that there is an influx of JeM cadres in South Kashmir. It is a cause of concern because typically they are getting into Fidayeen mode (suicide mode). But we have methods to keep this kind of activity in check,” he said.

He added, “As far as the numbers of militants are concerned we are looking at an approximate number of 113, in which 100 are locals and rest are foreigners.”

The top official of the CRPF also added to the appeal of the police and the army that when all the security apparatus gets together, they can assure a safe life to anyone who surrenders.

“If anyone wants to surrender, safe passage is assured, rehab is assured. When three agencies combine together, we can assure a safe life for anyone who wants to surrender and come to the mainstream,” said the IG, Operations, CRPF.

He added, “In our system the biggest incentive is given to a person who ensures surrender. That is the biggest achievement. All of us feel sad when somebody dies. It’s not like we get happiness from it.”

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