Former Director General of Jammu and Kashmir police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid has said that the kidnapping of kin of policemen “probably” cost him his job, a media report said today.
In a freewheeling interview with News 18, Vaid, who is currently serving as the state’s Transport Commissioner, said the kidnappings of kin of policemen by the militants “created panic in the police force”.
“If you think that cost my job, you are probably correct. I have no regrets at all,” Vaid told News18 when asked whether the kidnapping of kin of police personnel and the events which followed cost him his job.
“It (the police kidnappings) did create panic in the force at that time. Some SPOs did resign. But you have to understand that J&K Police is facing this problem since early 1990s. They have braved such situations. Besides, I am no more in police. So beyond a point, I cannot comment,” Vaid told News 18.
“It is government’s prerogative. I took it positively.”
However, Vaid said he was not given a reason. “No, nothing,” he said, “I learned about my transfer at 11:30 in the night. I took it positively. Though instead of passing the order in the night, it could have been issued in the morning.”
Terming the kidnapping of policemen as unfortunate episode, he said that the families of policemen are caught up in difficult situation.
“The decision to release Riyaz Naikoo’s father and other militants didn’t come from Governor’s office. Whatever happened that day, was done only on basis of my decisions,” the report quoted him as saying.
In August this year, the militants abducted, and then released, 11 relatives of state police personnel in apparent retaliation to police detention of the families of three Hizbul Mujahideen men.
The 11 family members were abducted from villages in the Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir on August 30.
The militants released all 11 relatives of policemen a day after after the state released the kin of the three militants detained earlier.
