SPOs killed in Kishtwar, Jammu, raise concerns over deployment outside tehsil jurisdiction

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were gunned down in Kishtwar. Jammu, on Thursday, leaving their families and local villagers concerned about the deployment of SPOs outside the territorial jurisdiction of their posting. The bodies of Bobby Chand and his nephew Rachpal Kumar were found in Marwah tehsil.

Less than 24 hours after they went missing.

According to local villagers, Chand had raised concerns about being deployed on a weekly basis at a Temporary Operational Base (TOB) of the Rashtriya Rifles in Dharna village. This is outside the territorial jurisdiction of the place of his posting.

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Chand's family members and local villagers have claimed that he had apprehensions about his deployment due to the risks involved, particularly given the post's location in Kiyar, a "shadow zone" with no mobile phone connectivity.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Tejinder Singh, and senior police officers from Kishtwar visited the families of the two men in Kiyar on Saturday. The IGP was accompanied by DIG Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar range, Sargun Shukla, and Kishtwar SSP Sunny Gupta. Leader of the Opposition, BJP's Sunil Sharma, also criticized senior police officers officers during their visit.

Officials stated that the approach of pairing operatives with vastly different firearms. The .303 and the INSAS, for a single mission, is fundamentally flawed.

Sharma's assessment is that this approach is a stark contrast to the competence he's observed in similar operations. The deployment of SPOs in Kiyar has raised questions about the oversight and accountability of the Special Operations Group (SOG). Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar has also expressed concern over the SPOs' placement.

This prompted a call for an investigation into the matter and action against the officer responsible for compiling the roster.

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Eight villagers in Kiyar narrowly escaped death in 2000 when militants impersonating Army personnel ambushed members of the local defence committee. The attack, which left the community shaken, has highlighted the need for adequate oversight and deployment of SPOs. The fact that Chand and his nephew were posted at a SOG post in Kiyar under the Dachhan tehsil.

With only four people on the post, has raised concerns about the risks involved in their deployment.

The fact that Chand and his nephew were deployed on a weekly basis at a TOB of the Rashtriya Rifles in Dharna village. Without adequate oversight, has raised questions about the risks involved. The Jammu and Kashmir government must take immediate action to address these concerns and ensure the safety of SPOs and local villagers.