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Detained woman SPO Saima Akhter a suspected militant associate: J&K Police

“The accused SPO Saima Akhter, as a police employee, is also bound by a code of ethics, which she “brazenly violated,” according to the police spokesperson.

SRINAGAR (J&K)

A day after a woman special police officer SPO Saima Akhter was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district for ‘glorifying militancy’, J&K Police on Saturday said that the woman was on their radar as a suspected over-ground worker (OGW) of local militants.

According to the police, a number of “vested interests” with “mala fide intentions” have expended a lot of time and effort on social media sites to make this situation appear to be ‘overreach’ and an ‘excessively strict action.’

Pertinently, the detention and removal from service of SPO Saima Akhter were criticized by various political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC).

Hours after the woman SPO’s arrest under Unlawful Activities and Prevention Act (UAPA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile State, Mehbooba Mufti termed the police action as “cruel”.

“SPO Saima Akhter from Kulgam has been slapped with UAPA for raising legitimate questions about searching her home repeatedly without any reasons. Saima’s ailing mother understandably exacerbated her worries. When it comes to cruelty, even women aren’t spared in Naya Kashmir,” she had tweeted.

A police spokesman said, “It is clarified that the accused woman uttered anti-India and pro-freedom slogans off-camera, thus inviting penal action…”

He said the on-camera utterance was live streaming for “further dissemination” on various social media sites with the “intention to cause disruption” of an ongoing search operation and “incite disaffection” against the State.

He said, “This is punishable under the Indian Penal Code and the UA(P) Act.”

The accused, as a police employee, is also bound by a code of ethics, which she “brazenly violated,” according to the police spokesperson. “Thus, the concurrent departmental action has been taken against her,” he added.

According to the spokesman, the accused’s home is an alleged hideout for an active Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant named Aslam Dar, and the woman has been on the police radar as a possible OGW, prompting a search.

“It remains to be investigated whether her act was meant as a disruption tactic to aid escape of the said terrorist when the search operation was underway,” he said, adding, “It is thus requested that no heed should be paid towards those trying to paint the incident in any hue other than a criminal act.”

It is worthwhile to mention here that the accused 30-year-old Saima is a lone daughter of her aged and ailing parents.

SPO Saima Akhter was detained and terminated from services after a purported video went viral on social media sites in which the woman was seen accusing government forces of repeatedly harassing her family.

The woman, in the video, even asked the forces to take out their shoes in order to enter their house for conducting a search while alleging that they were not allowed to take ‘Sehri’ – meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting during Ramadan.

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Aasif Ganaie

Aasif is a journalist and a news enthusiast based in Jammu & Kashmir. He voyages to explore and uncover the stories More »

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