J&K: Three SPOs suspended for dereliction of duty

J&K Police on Tuesday dismissed three Special Police Officers (SPOs) from service for dereliction of duty.

A police spokesman said that SPOs Daljeet Singh, Bali Ram and Deepak Singh have been disengaged from service after they were found involved in dereliction of duty and criminal activities.

"SPOs Daljeet Singh and Bali Ram were arrested in a murder case registered in Ramgarh police station. They later escaped from custody.

"SPO Deepak Singh has been disengaged from service for his involvement in a case registered under relevant sections of the NDPS Act at the Samba police station," police said.

The SPOs are engaged by J&K Police on a fixed monthly remuneration and they are given training in handling weapons once they are deployed on anti-militancy operations.

TRF commander killed

Meanwhile, a top commander of the banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba's frontal organisation The Resistance Front (TRF) was killed along with another terrorist in an encounter with the security forces in J&K's Kulgam district.

IGP Kashmir V. K. Birdi told reporters that the top TRF commander identified as Basit Dar is one of the two terrorists killed by the security forces in the encounter in the Redwani area of Kulgam district.

"The identity of the second slain terrorist is being ascertained. Firing exchanges have stopped, but searches are still going on in the area," police said.

Security forces had started a cordon and search operation after receiving inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Redwani area.

After the security forces closed on the hiding terrorists, they opened fire triggering an encounter during which two terrorists were killed.

It must be recalled that Kulgam is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha where voting is scheduled for May 25.

(With inputs from IANS)