ADGP Kumar stresses vigilant compliance with SOPs by police personnel on & off duty
SRINAGAR, DEC 08: In a sombre ceremony marked by profound grief and poignant tributes, Inspector Masroor Ahmad, who bravely served in the Jammu and Kashmir Police, was laid to rest on Friday.
Masroor Ahmad Wani, targeted by terrorists while playing cricket in Eidgah on October 29, passed away at Delhi AIIMS on Thursday.
His body was brought to Srinagar from AIIMS earlier in the day.
The funeral rites took place at Narwara Eiddgah in Srinagar on Friday afternoon, where family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers gathered to bid their final farewell.
The atmosphere in the poignant ceremony was laden with sorrow, reflecting the deep impact of the loss on both the personal and professional fronts.
Earlier in the day amidst the heart-wrenching farewells, senior officials, including the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar, paid their respects to the fallen officer in a wreath-laying ceremony held in PCR Srinagar for the slain police inspector.
ADGP Kumar, visibly moved by the tragic event, expressed condolences to Inspector Ahmad’s family and praised his exemplary service to the force.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police honoured Inspector Ahmad with full honours.
In response to this incident on October 29 in Eidgah, Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued a comprehensive directive mandating all officers and personnel to diligently adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) both during their leave and on duty.
The move comes in the wake of heightened security concerns, with the recent attack highlighting the vulnerability of law enforcement officers even when off duty.
Speaking to reporters during the wreath-laying ceremony for the late Inspector Masroor Ahmed Wani, ADGP Law and Order Vijay Kumar underscored the importance of officers following the SoPs in spirit.
“Fresh directions have been issued to all personnel to adhere to SoPs both during leave and while performing their duties to prevent them from becoming soft targets,” stated ADGP Kumar.
Responding to queries, ADGP Kumar acknowledged that the police had received intelligence about a potential terrorist attack on October 29.
“Yes, we had inputs about a possible attack by terrorists. But mistakes happen at times, and in this case, also, a mistake happened, and we lost an officer,” he explained.
Kumar assured that a fool-proof mechanism has been implemented to prevent incidents similar to the one in Eidgah.
Regarding the identity of the attackers involved in Wani’s killing, ADGP Kumar stated, “Those involved will be eliminated or arrested soon. It is not advisable to reveal anything about the ongoing investigations.”
This newspaper has already reported that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into this terrorist attack.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident, aiming to identify and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the attack.
Sources said that the investigations are ongoing and NIA, Jammu and Kashmir Police have promised to uncover the circumstances behind this cowardly act of terrorism.
One of the top police officials said that they would spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.
“Our primary focus is on identifying, apprehending, and holding the culprits accountable for their actions. Collaborating closely with the NIA and other law enforcement agencies and intelligence units, we are gathering crucial evidence, analyzing forensic findings, and pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the terrorists responsible for the attack,” the official added.
