BJP leader's killing: TIP of arrested militant; bureaucrats ignored warnings

A Test Identification Parade (TIP) of arrested JeM militant Hilal Naikoo will be conducted in connection with BJP leader Gul Mohammed Mir's killing in Anantnag as an internal probe indicated lapses at bureaucratic level despite a clear threat to him, officials said.

The family of 57-year-old Mir, who unsuccessfully contested on BJP ticket in 2008 and 2014 assembly elections from Dooru in South Kashmir, has claimed that Naikoo was present in the squad that killed the politician outside his home on May 4.

Mir, whose affidavit shows his age as 52 in the 2014 assembly polls, was shot dead outside his residence at Nowgam in Verinag area of South Kashmir. He was shifted to hospital in a critical condition, but was declared brought dead by the doctors there.

Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested Hilal Naikoo from Dooru. Police officials said that they would be carrying out his TIP soon.

The killing had rattled Governor Satya Pal Malik's administration in Jammu and Kashmir and Additional Director General of Police Munir Khan was appointed to inquire into the lapses.

Earlier, Malik had ordered an inquiry headed by state Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to "identify lapses" but withdrew later after political parties accused the top bureaucrat of creating a chaotic situation by withdrawing security of some people in Kashmir Valley.

The internal probe shows that the Home Ministry had written in February this year to the chief secretary for providing security to Mir but it was not adhered to, officials said.

In its communication, the Home Ministry had sent a representation from Mir along with intelligence inputs about increasing his security, instead the security was withdrawn completely, they said.

The local police cited an order from state home department in which it was categorically mentioned that if the security personnel do not report back to their parent units by or before April 5, 2019, the salary equivalent shall be deducted from the salary of district superintendents of police or commandants.

"In case where personal security office have been deployed unauthorisedly, the salary equivalent of such personnel would be deducted from the salary of concerned officers for such unauthorised deployment.

"The security to politicians is provided on local inputs and not institutionalised through any proper mechanism which includes clearing of names through a screening committee," they said.

The order, according to the officials, prompted many district police heads to withdraw security immediately fearing deduction in their salaries, they said.

Mir's son, Zahoor Ahmed Mir, had said that his father's security had been withdrawn two months back and all efforts to get it back had fallen on deaf ears.

"I had given a letter of the BJP leaders to SSP Anantnag but he expressed his helplessness and directed me to see Munir Khan (Additional Director General of Polce in charge of security)," he said.

According to the officials, Mir was included in the list ordered by the chief secretary in February this year despite opposition by security agencies which had suggested that no security should be withdrawn until the election process is completed.

However, the chief secretary ordered reconstitution of the screening committee, removed police officials from it and appointed state Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra as its chairman, a move which has been criticised.

Since the withdrawal of security, politicians have been easy prey for militants. A panch, Abdul Majeed Dar, was killed in Kulgam on April 4 and a National Conference (NC) worker, Mohammad Ismail Wani, sustained injuries after being shot at on March 14. On March 30, suspected militants shot dead social activist Arjumand Majid Bhat in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.