JK DSP case: CRPF carries out vigilance check of its over 3 lakh personnel

The CRPF has carried out a mega audit of its over three lakh personnel to check for any possible "subversive" elements in the wake of a Jammu and Kashmir Police officer being caught with terrorists recently, the chief of the paramilitary force said here on Tuesday.

CRPF Director General (DG) A P Maheshwari said the incident involving Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh was "grave" and an "area of extreme concern" for the security forces, adding that all should see that these things don't occur.

So it was "common sense" to carry out such an audit of its manpower, deployed as the lead force for counter-terrorist and anti-Naxal operations across the country, when any incident like this take place, he said.

"If something happens somewhere, it is a case to revisit ourselves and that is what we have done. We have no doubts about our personnel," the CRPF chief said.

A senior official said the counter-intelligence units of the force were recently asked to check the credentials of the personnel after obtaining data from all available sources and they have been asked to be kept on "active mode" for some more time.

"No security grid should be allowed to be weakened by such episodes. So, all forces have to keep an internal watch," he said on the arrest of DSP Singh.

"All forces should maintain vigilance so that there is no such type of subversion or some sort of intrusion within the force...," the DG told reporters here.

JK Police had arrested Singh at Mir Bazar in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district along with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists Naveed Baba and Altaf, besides a lawyer who was operating as an overground worker for terror outfits, on January 11.

Maheshwari said that somebody from a security force trying to collaborate with adversaries is a "serious matter". However, he added that a lone incident cannot be used to "brand" the entire force which has done onerous work in the past.

"An isolated incident should not be taken as branding of any particular force. The JK Police has tremendous contributions in normalising the situation (in Kashmir)," the DG said at a force camp here.

One incident should not be used to cast "aspersions on the dignity of the force, on the strength of the force, and therefore I don't buy this is theory that there can be more such elements, but yes it is a matter of concern and all should see that these things don't occur," said the DG, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre who took over the reins of the force on January 15.

"We are further strengthening our systems... which were already in place," he said referring to the vigilance and intelligence checks conducted on their personnel in Kashmir valley and other places.

"When something happens in neighbourhood, then it is common sense to do it (check against subversive elements) quickly again," he added.

The Central Reserve Police Force has deployed close to 70,000 personnel in Kashmir Valley for counter-terrorist and law and order duties.

It is the country's largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) with 3.25 lakh personnel in its ranks and is categorised as the lead national internal security force.