CRPF to stick to SOPs

Amid demands for giving it more weapons, CRPF has said it will adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by Union Home Ministry under which only one-third of the deployed force will be armed.
CRPF Director General Pranay Sahay, who attended a high-level meeting chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah last night here, agreed that there will be no change in the deployment rules for the para-military force, official sources said.
The sources said there was a demand from few CRPF officers posted in the Valley for arming every personnel while being deployed for law and order duties in the wake of killing of five of its personnel in the outskirts of the city yesterday.

However, the same was turned down as this move was fraught with the danger of more civilian casualities during public protests, they said.
After much deliberations, the CRPF chief assured that there would not be any deviation from the SOP as recommended by the Home Ministry, the sources said.
During with the meeting it was stated that the fidayeen (suicide squad) attack was neutralised within 25 minutes.
After the 2010 agitation over alleged fake encounter by the Army in Machil, the Home Ministry had laid down SOPs for the security force deployment under which only one-third of the force will be carrying weapons and had suggested more use of pepper guns, tear gas shells and rubber bullets while dealing with agitation.