NIA to take over J&K police officer's arrest case as investigation reveals new findings

The National Investigation Agency will take over the high profile case in which a decorated Jammu and Kashmir police officer, Davinder Singh, was arrested with two terrorists and one overground worker in Kulgam district on Saturday, top police sources have told WION. 

The case which shocked the J&K police and other agencies in the valley will be officially handed over to India's premier investigating agency in days to come. 

"An NIA team was supposed to reach here today but due to snowfall, no flights could land or take off from the airport, hence hampering their arrival. They will reach here when the flights can land and the case will be taken over by them," said a top police source in Kashmir adding that the J&K police has also given its consent for the case to be taken over. The case was registered was which was registered at Qazigund police station. 

The NIA in the past has taken over several cases from the local police and investigated them including Pulwama terror attack case, J&K terror funding case, URI terror attack, and other suicide attacks which created big headlines. 

Meanwhile, the sources in the agency also said that the investigation has so far revealed that terrorists and the officer were on way to Chandigarh and two terrorists were wearing turbans to hide their identity. Their motivation for moving to Punjab is still being investigated by the security forces. 

The police during a press conference yesterday had said that their officers were capable enough to probe the incident as several officers presently posted with the J&K carder have worked with several top agencies. 

Earlier today, J&K police chief Dilbag Singh according to sources in Delhi, spoke to officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs about the developments in the valley since yesterday which includes the arrest of the DSP rank officer. 

Sources say the Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla was briefed on the arrest of the officer with two terrorists, including a top commander, and one overground worker from an i10 car in Kulgam. 

He was also informed about the killing of three terrorists in Tral area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir. They say that the top cop also spoke about the interrogations and questioning being done by several agencies including the Military intelligence, Intelligence bureau & RAW of the DSP and terrorists.

The arrest of the officer, who was deployed with the anti-hijacking unit at the Srinagar International Airport, has shocked the security forces operating in the valley as the officer was involved in several anti-terrorism operations in the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir in the past.

He was posing with foreign envoys during their official visit to Kashmir to get a first-hand account on the situation in J&K following the abrogation of J&K special status which raised serval questions on his deployment at a sensitive location despite his tainted tenure. 

Questions are also being raised on the processes involving in the vetting officers for gallantry as Davinder Singh was awarded President's medal on the eve of India's Independence day.