News Analysis India

Tag: CRPF

  • Centre accords Z+ security cover to NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre has accorded a Z+ security cover of CRPF commandos to the NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, officials said on Wednesday.

    The armed squad took over the security of Murmu, 64, early Wednesday morning, a senior officer said.

    ALSO READ | From remote Mayurbhanj to Raisina Hill: A tough yet illustrious journey of Droupadi Murmu

    BJP president J P Nadda announced the candidature of Murmu, a party leader from Odisha who served as Jharkhand governor, at a press conference on Monday night following a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.

    Officials said soon after this announcement, the Union home ministry directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to deploy its VIP security protection team to take charge of Murmu’s security.

  • Centre relaxes educational qualification to recruit tribal youths from Chhattisgarh in CRPF

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday approved a proposal to relax the minimum educational qualification to recruit native tribal youths from interior areas of Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma in Chhattisgarh as constables in the CRPF.

    The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

    The Union cabinet has approved a proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs to relax requisite minimum educational qualification from 10th class pass to 8th Class for the recruitment of 400 candidates as constable (general duty) in the CRPF from three districts of south Chattisgarh namely Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma, an official release said.

    Apart from issuing advertisement in local newspapers and adopting all means for wider publicity of this rally in these interior areas of the three districts, the CRPF would subsequently impart formal education during the probation period to these newly recruited trainees, it said.

    As many as 400 tribal youths from interior areas of these three districts will get employment opportunities.

    Appropriate relaxation in physical standards for recruitment will also be given by Ministry of Home Affairs, the statement added.

    The CRPF is one of Central Armed Police Forces, basically meant for duties like maintenance of law and order, tackling counter-insurgency and maintaining internal security.

    In the instant case, the CRPF proposes to recruit 400 native tribal youths as constables from the relatively backward areas of Chhattisgarh, the statement said.

    They will be confirmed in service only after acquiring the prescribed minimum educational qualification of standard 10th pass, thus formal education will be given to these recruits and the CRPF would extend all possible support like providing study material, books and coaching assistance during their probation period, it said.

    The probation period may be extended suitably, if required, to facilitate new recruits to acquire the prescribed education qualification.

    In order to facilitate them to take the 10th standard exam, these recruits will be registered with National Institute of Open Schools recognised by central and state governments, it said.

    The CRPF during 2016-2017 had raised one Bastariya Battalion by recruiting Scheduled Tribe candidates from four districts namely, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma of Chhattisgarh.

    However, it could not yield optimum results as native youths from interior areas could not compete in the recruitment process due to non- fulfilling of requisite educational qualification i.e.10th pass, the release said.

  • Militant involved in April 4 attack on CRPF men killed in Srinagar encounter

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: A militant, who was involved in the April 4 attack on CRPF men in which a jawan was killed and another injured, has been killed in the ongoing encounter with security forces in Srinagar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said.

    Police said a contingent of police and CRPF men launched a joint search operation at Bishember Nagar area of uptown Srinagar in the early hours on Sunday.

    He said while the search operation was going on, militants hiding in the area fired on the troops.

    The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter.

    IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said one militant has been killed in the encounter and another is trapped.

    “The killed militant was involved in a recent attack on CRPF men in Srinagar,” he said.

    On April 4, militants had fired on two CRPF men at busy Maisuma area of Srinagar, killing a jawan and injuring another.

  • All polling booths in Asansol should be manned by CRPF: Ravi Shankar Prasad

    By PTI

    ASANSOL: Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday demanded that all polling booths in Asansol Lok Sabha constituency, where bypolls will be held on April 12, be manned by CRPF personnel to ensure free and fair elections.

    The Lok Sabha MP alleged that an atmosphere of fear has engulfed Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal.

    “I will appeal to the Election Commission to deploy Central Reserve Police Personnel (CRPF) in large numbers in Asansol,” he told reporters here.

    Referring to Shatrughan Sinha, whom TMC has fielded in Asansol, Prasad said, “The by-poll is being held in a unique situation wherein the man whom I had defeated in Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, has come to contest here.”

    Noting that Sinha has changed three political parties, Prasad questioned whether there is any guarantee that he will remain with the TMC till 2024, when the next Lok Sabha elections will be held.

    Referring to the Birbhum killings, Prasad alleged that West Bengal has turned into a “police state” and people approached the Calcutta High Court for relief as they were skeptical of police probing the incident impartially.

    The high court has handed over the investigation into the incident, in which nine people died of burn injuries after assailants threw petrol bombs at several houses in Bogtui village near Rampurhat town on March 21 following the murder of local TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

    The BJP leader called upon the people of Asansol to vote for BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul as the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked for unity and development of the country.

    Reacting to Prasad’s comments, TMC state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “BJP is doing politics over dead bodies. Ravi Shankar Prasad should apologise for casting aspersions on the law and order in West Bengal. Threatening to impose President’s rule in West Bengal won’t help.”

    The by-poll to Asansol constituency was necessitated since Supriyo resigned from his seat after joining the TMC.

    He will contest from Ballygunge assembly seat which fell vacant after state minister Subrata Mukherjee died last year.

  • Terrorists hurl grenades at CRPF camps in Shopian, Pulwama in JK, three personnel injured

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Terrorists hurled grenades at two CRPF camps in Shopian and Pulwama districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, injuring three personnel, police said.

    The attacks came on a day the paramilitary force held its 83rd Raising Day parade in Jammu.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the CRPF Day event, held for the first time outside the national capital. “At about 8:10 pm, terrorists hurled a grenade upon the camp of 178 Battalion of the CRPF at Babapora in Zainapora area of the south Kashmir district of Shopian,” a police official said. He said one personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was injured in the attack.

    In another attack, terrorists threw a grenade at the camp of 180 Battalion of the CRPF at Nowdal in Tral area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, the official said. He said two CRPF troopers were injured in the explosion.

  • Two held in connection with CRPF personnel’s killing in J&K’s Shopian

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Within hours of the killing of a CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, police arrested the assailant and recovered the weapon of offence on Sunday.

    Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said an over ground worker (OGW) or a terrorist associate has also been arrested in connection with the case.

    Terrorists shot dead off-duty CRPF personnel Mukhtar Ahmad at his home in the Check Chotipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir on Saturday evening.

    “We have arrested #killer of CRPF personnel. #Weapon of #offence (pistol) recovered on his disclosure. 01 OGW who accompanied him during #terror crime also arrested,” the IGP said in a tweet.

    He said the crime was committed on the directions of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abid Ramzan Sheikh.

    In a statement later, a police spokesperson identified the alleged assailant as Rukhsar Sadiq Thoker, a resident of Rangmarg-Sedow and an active terrorist. The weapon of offence — a pistol — was also seized from his possession.

    “During the course of investigation, he (Thoker) disclosed the identity of another terrorist associate who facilitated him in the commission of the crime. He (the terrorist associate) has been identified as Amir Ahmad Dewan, a resident of Bohrihallan in Shopian, who too was arrested and on his disclosure, a motorcycle used in the commission of the crime was recovered,” the spokesperson said.

    During further questioning, Thoker confessed that he is a close associate of Sheikh, the self-styled commander of the LeT and a hybrid terrorist of the said organisation.

    “Furthermore, he revealed that he, along with his associate, had committed the crime on Sheikh’s directions in order to create an atmosphere of terror in the area,” the spokesperson said.

    Investigation in the case is going on and further leads are expected, he added.

  • CRPF officer, jawan injured in IED blast carried out by Naxals in Bihar

    By PTI

    PATNA: A CRPF officer belonging to its CoBRA commando unit was critically injured along with a jawan after Naxals triggered an IED blast in a forest in Bihar’s Gaya district on Friday, officials said.

    Assistant Commandant Vibhore Kumar Singh suffered serious injuries in both his legs in the blast that took place in the Chakrabandha forest, about 100 km from here.

    Head Constable Surendra Singh was also injured in the improvised explosive device (IED) blast.

    The Maoists also believed to have fired on the patrol team of the 205th Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), they said. The incident took place around 5 pm.

    The security personnel accompanying the injured are trying to evacuate them to the nearest road head as a rescue chopper could not land due to darkness, they said.

  • Centre mulls psychological evaluation of CAPF assistant commandant candidates

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The central government is mulling psychological evaluation of candidates for the post of assistant commandant in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), according to sources in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The proposal comes amid an increase in incidents of suicides and fratricides in the CAPFs. 

    A senior MHA official said the current syllabus and pattern of examination is being studied and the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) has been roped in to help design a blueprint to assess the psychological abilities of the candidates. The official added that the syllabus and pattern of the examination has remained untouched for around two decades.

    Besides introducing ways to assess the psychological well-being of the candidate, the ministry is also considering to analyze the technical and cyber knowledge of the candidates. In the current examination, there is not much emphasis on cyber and digital knowledge but insurgent-affected areas like Kashmir and Northeast and Naxal-affected areas require one to have a fair cyber knowledge, an official said. 

    The CAPFs comprise the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial  Security Force (CISF), National Security Guard (NSG),  Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). 

  • Message to Valley: CRPF to commemorate annual Raising Day parade in Jammu & Kashmir

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  In a decision that suggests a likely policy shift for all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and may come as a morale-booster for the security personnel, CRPF has decided to commemorate its annual Raising Day parade in Jammu and Kashmir instead of its usual venue – Delhi-NCR.

    According to a senior official, the decision is in line with the suggestion given by Union Home Minister to have such functions in areas where the forces have significant presence so as to “strengthen their connection with public”. The official added that this time, the event will be called ‘CRPF Day’ instead of ‘Raising Day’.

    MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai is likely to be the chief guest at the CRPF’s Raising Day parade, which is scheduled on March 19 in Jammu. According to sources, other CAPFs are likely to commemorate their annual Raising Day parades at venues where they have been engaged for a long time. Sources say that the idea is also aimed at bridging the distance between the troops and the top-brass.

    On March 19, the CRPF plans a wreath-laying ceremony at Martyr’s memorial and the CRPF Day Parade followed by  cultural and Badakhana programmes, where all top officials will have meals with officers of all ranks. 

    Notably, the BSF had also shifted its Raising Day from Delhi-NCR to Jaisalmer last year. Officials told this newspaper that the shift of venue is intended at sending a positive message to the people of J&K where terror incidents have come down since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

    Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were also considered for the ceremony as CRPF has its highest deployment in Left Wing Extremism-hit areas. “There were also deliberations on holding the function in Srinagar but ultimately Jammu was finalised,” a CRPF officer said.

  • Samajwadi Party govt tried to withdraw cases against terrorists: Nadda

    In another incident, a CRPF camp in Rampur was attacked, in which seven soldiers were killed.