Continuing violence in the valley: J&K police chief transferred

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police M N Sabharwal has been transferred, as a direct result of the spurt in violence in the state.

He has been replaced as DGP by Jagjit Gurbachan, a senior Indian Police Service officer of the Punjab cadre.

In a simultaneous move, the J&K government has also appointed Vijay Raman, a much decorated IPS officer from Tamil Nadu, as Inspector General of Police (security). In this post, Raman will be in charge of the state Special Security Group created for the protection of Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, who in the past 100 days has escaped three attempts on his life.

It is this perception that the Kashmir terrorists are targetting the chief minister for special attention that has forced the administration to put Raman, a cop who has done a stint with the elite Special Protection Group during Rajiv Gandhi's time, in charge of the security wing.

The new appointees are likely to take charge after Republic Day. The militants, meanwhile, have called for a general strike on January 26, and have also advised people not to move near the security bunkers and vehicles -- leading to the perception that major strikes on military targets are planned for the day.

There is, thus, an increasing tension in Srinagar as R-Day nears. In the meantime, the grapevine buzzes with conflicting rumours about the reasons behind Sabharwal's exit. While some sources indicate that his inability to contain the violence led to his ouster, other sources insist that Sabharwal himself met Abdullah and requested a change.

The two new appointments, meanwhile, are seen as a prelude to concerted moves to revamp and reactivate the police force. As of now, the 1000-strong Special Task Force of the state police is actively engaged in fighting insurgency. Meanwhile, the administration is busy making 'foolproof arrangements' to ensure that the Republic Day functions are not disrupted by violence.