Interaction with Pak terror handlers considered serious crime: DGP J&K

| Updated: 15 November, 2023 1:01 pm IST

SRINAGAR: The Director General of Police (DGP) for Jammu and Kashmir, RR Swain, declared on Tuesday that any form of interaction with handlers based in Pakistan will be treated as a serious crime. The J&K Police, under DGP Swain’s leadership, is set to establish a comprehensive mechanism to investigate such interactions, with stringent actions against the accused to be taken in due course of the law.

Addressing the media after presiding over a security review meeting in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Swain emphasised that the police force is committed to combating those responsible for recruiting teenagers into terrorist activities. He further highlighted the determination to take action against people who exploit terrorism for financial gain, asserting that their properties will be seized.

DGP RR Swain, currently on a tour of districts across the Kashmir valley, convened a meeting with senior officers from the Army, CRPF, BSF, and other security agencies in Anantnag. During the discussions, it was decided that every recruitment to terrorist ranks, whether as an active terrorist, an Over Ground Worker (OGW), or a hybrid sleeper cell terrorist, will be subject to legal and operational scrutiny.

The investigation will delve into the factors motivating people to join terrorist groups, including identifying those providing arms and ammunition, understanding the influences from schools or Madrassas, and uncovering connections with handlers across borders. The focus will be on determining which handler is responsible for luring young people into the perilous paths of death and destruction.

The meeting also addressed people who have not committed acts of violence or terror but display signs of vulnerability to exploitation by conflict entrepreneurs. Special programmes will be designed to minimise their susceptibility to manipulation by terror groups.