News Analysis India

Tag: CRPF

  • CRPF suspends chief sports officer, coach after internal probe finds them guilty of sexual harassment

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Wednesday suspended its chief sports officer DIG Khajan Singh and coach Inspector Surjit Singh after a preliminary probe found them guilty of sexual harassment of women personnel, official sources said.

    They said a committee headed by CRPF Inspector General Charu Sinha, based in Srinagar, has found the charges of sexual harassment levelled against them by a 30-year-old woman constable prima facie valid.

    “Deputy Inspector General Khajan Singh and Inspector Surjit Singh have been suspended following the recommendations of the preliminary probe conducted by the force,” a senior officer said.

    Khajan Singh, the chief sports officer of the country’s largest paramilitary force, had won a silver medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games in the 200m butterfly event which was India’s first medal in swimming at the event since the 1951 edition.

    Khajan Singh had earlier denied the allegations and told PTI that these charges were “absolutely false and this was done just to spoil his image”.

    In a complaint filed at Baba Haridas police station in Delhi in December last year, the woman constable accused the duo of raping her and alleged that they had sexually harassed women constables as well and later used them as “their accomplices”.

    The woman, who joined the CRPF in 2010, was stated to have later retracted her allegations during police probe.

    Sources had said in December that the woman had recorded her statement before a magistrate under CrPC section 164 where she allegedly retracted her allegations against the two CRPF sports officers.

    Former CRPF Director General Anand Prakash Maheshwari, who retired in February, had told reporters during a press conference in January that all due legal processes would be followed in this case and anyone found guilty would be punished based on the recommendations of the committee.

    The CRPF, an about 3.25 lakh personnel strong force, first inducted women in combat ranks in 1986 and it has six all-women battalions at present with an overall strength of about 8,000 personnel in them.

    It also has women personnel in sports and other administrative wings.

  • Jammu and Kashmir: Death toll in Lawaypora attack rises to three with death of injured CRPF personnel

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: A CRPF constable who suffered injuries in militant firing died at a hospital here on Monday, taking the death toll in the attack in Lawaypora on the outskirts of Srinagar last week to three, officials said.

    Constable Jagannath Ray succumbed to injuries at the SKIMS Hospital in Soura after battling for life for four days, a police official said.

    He said Constable Ray was among the four CRPF personnel injured in the militant attack on Thursday.

    Two personnel — a sub-inspector and a constable — had died within hours of the attack.

    Police have arrested two overground workers involved in providing logistical support to the militants who carried out the attack.

  • Lawaypora attack: Car used identified, two overground workers held

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: The police on Friday claimed to have arrested within 24 hours two overground workers of militants involved in the Lawaypora attack on a CRPF convoy that left two personnel dead and two others injured.

    “It was a painful terror incident. Srinagar and Bandipora police worked whole night and arrested two OGWs involved in the attack,” Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar told reporters at the wreath laying ceremony of the slain CRPF personnel.

    Kumar said the car used in the attack was seized while the terrorist who carried out the attack identified.

    Some empty cartridges have also been recovered from the car, he said.

    The IGP identified the arrested over ground workers as Javaid Sheikh and Muzaffar Mir.

    “Muzaffar Mir is the relative of Nadeem Abrar, commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba. They are involved and they planned all this,” he added.

    Officials said raids were conducted at several places to track down the three terrorists including two foreigners who carried out the attack.

    The operations are going on to track them down, the officials said.

    A sub-inspector of CRPF and a constable were killed while two other jawans were injured in the attack carried out by militants in Lawaypora area of the city on Thursday.

  • Two CRPF personnel killed, as many injured in militant attack on outskirts of Srinagar

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: Two CRPF personnel, including a sub-inspector, were killed and two others injured, one of them critically, in a militant attack at Lawaypora on the outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday. Police blamed Lashkar-e-Toiba for the attack.

    CRPF spokesman Om Prakash Tiwari said the militants fired on the vehicle of a road opening party of CRPF’s 73 BN at around 3.45 pm. Militants fired indiscriminately from assault rifles on the CRPF vehicle, causing injuries to four paramilitary jawans. The injured jawans were evacuated to the army hospital at Badamibagh Cantonment in Srinagar, where two of the critically injured jawans succumbed to injuries. 

    The deceased were identified as Sub Inspector Manga Ram Dev Barman, a resident of Tripura, and driver Constable Ashok Kumar, resident of Chandigarh. The CRPF official said the condition of injured jawan Jagan Nath is critical while another injured jawan Nazim Ali is stable.

    Immediately after the militant attack, police and CRPF men rushed to the area and launched a search operation to nab the attackers, whose number and identity are being ascertained. A police official said preliminary investigations indicated involvement of Lashkar militants. “Investigation is vigorously going on to establish the full circumstances of the militant attack,” he said.

    This is the fourth militant attack in Srinagar in the last two months. On February 17, militants shot at and injured Akash Mehra, son of famous Krishna Dhaba owner Ramesh Kumar Mehra. Akash succumbed to injuries after 11 days. On February 19, militants in broad-day light killed two policemen in Baghat area of uptown Srinagar. On March 5, militants lobbed a grenade towards a police post at Fateh Kadal area in downtown Srinagar without causing any damage.

  • Encounter underway in Jammu & Kashmir’s Shopian, one terrorist killed

    By ANI
    SHOPIAN: An encounter has restarted in the Rawalpora area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Monday.

    The encounter had broken out on March 13 and one terrorist was gunned down during the operation.

    “The killed terrorist has been identified as Jahangir Ahmad Wani, a resident of Rakh Narapora of Shopian affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba,” the Jammu and Kashmir Police said in a statement.

    According to the Shopian Police, a joint cordon and search operation was launched on Saturday night by the police, 34 Rashtriya Rifles and 14 Battalion of CRPF in the said area.

    The killed terrorist was active since September last year and was involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security forces and civilian atrocities.

    Arms and ammunition, including the USA-made M4 Carbine rifle and other incriminating materials, were recovered from the site of encounter so far. 

  • J&K: US-made M-4 carbine rifle, armour piercing bullets recovered from militant killed in gunfight 

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed on Sunday in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The security personnel have recovered a US-made M-4 carbine rifle and 36 armour piercing bullets from the militant’s possession.

    A joint contingent of police, CRPF and army laid siege around Rawalpora area on Saturday after receiving inputs about presence of 2-3 militants including top Lakshar commander Sajad Afghani. 

    Then the security forces launched a cordon and search operation which soon turned into an encounter after militants opened fire on the security forces who retaliated.

    After an overnight lull, the exchange of fire resumed on Sunday in which one militant was killed. The deceased militant was identified as Jahangir Ahmad Wani and he joined militancy in September 2020.

    “The militants were given the opportunity to surrender. However, militants turned down the offer and fired indiscriminately on the troops. The fire was returned by the troops and in ensuing gunfight, a militant was killed,” the police official said.

    Three houses caught fire during the gunfight.

  • Jaish-e-Mohammad associate held in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Security forces on Monday arrested a terrorist associate of proscribed outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad from Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

    “Based on specific information regarding the presence of terrorists of JeM in Larow Jagir village in Tral area (of Pulwama), police along with 42 Rashtriya Rifles and 180 Bn CRPF launched a search operation there. During the search, a terrorist associate identified as Muzamil Qadir Bhat was arrested,” a police spokesperson said.

    Incriminating material was recovered from the possession of the arrested person.

    A hand grenade that Bhat had concealed in the compound of his house was also recovered, he said.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested terrorist associate was in contact with terrorist commanders of JeM in Tral and across the country. All the recovered materials have been included in case records for further investigation,” the spokesperson said.

  • JeM terror associate arrested by security forces in J-K’s Pulwama

    By ANI
    AWANTIPORA: One terror associate Muzamil Qadir Bhat, who was in touch with terrorist commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammad, was arrested in a joint operation by security forces from Lorow Jagir Tral village in Pulwama on Sunday.

    The operation was carried out by Jammu and Kashmir Police, 42 Rashtriya Rifles and 180 battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

    During questioning, the forces seized incriminating material of Jaish-e-Mohammad and one hand grenade was recovered from him that he has kept concealed in the compound of his home.

    A case under relevant sections of the law has been registered in Police Station in Tral.

    Further investigation is going on.  

  • ‘Did not forgive, will not forget’: CRPF on Pulwama terror attack anniversary

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that lost 40 troopers in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack said on Sunday that the country “did not forgive” and “will not forget” the supreme sacrifice made by the personnel.

    A wreath-laying ceremony was held at CRPF camp in Lethpora in Jammu and Kashmir to mark the second anniversary of the deadly attack.

    Senior officers of the paramilitary based at its headquarters in Delhi participated in the event in the virtual mode, CRPF spokesperson deputy inspector general (DIG) Moses Dhinakaran said.

    “Did not Forgive, will not Forget: Salute to our brothers who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in #PulwamaAttack.

    “Indebted, we stand with the families of our valiant Bravehearts,” the force said in a Twitter post.

    READ| ‘No Indian can forget this day’: PM pays tributes to Pulwama martyrs

    Soon after the Pulwama attack, the Indian Air Force had carried out an airstrike in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26, 2019, targeting terrorist camps.

    CRPF Director General A P Maheshwari also unveiled a video book dedicated to the 40 personnel killed in the line of duty.

    “We have inherited bravery which flows like blood in our veins,” he was quoted as saying by the spokesperson.

    “The video book has a content of 80 episodes and 300 minutes. A copy of the book will also be sent to the families of each of the personnel killed in the Pulwama suicide bombing attack,” Dhinakaran said.

    A CRPF bus in the fifth position of a 78-vehicle convoy was targeted by a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber who detonated his explosives-laden SUV near it on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Pulwama on February 14, 2019.

    The convoy was ferrying over 2,500 personnel and all 39 in the ill-fated bus and a sub-officer stationed on the ground, as part of a road sanitisation party, were killed in the blast.

    CRPF Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Mohan Lal, 50, who had “chased and fired” at the explosives-laden car, was named for the highest police medal for bravery, the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG), this Republic Day.

    In Jammu, CRPF personnel at the Bantalab campus also paid tributes to the 40 troopers of the force and a ‘vatika’ (garden) made to honour them was inaugurated, a spokesperson of the paramilitary force said.

    The garden has been named after Head Constable Naseer Ahmad and it is near the ‘Shaheed Smarak’, he said Ahmed was posted in 76th battalion and was deployed for protection duty of the convoy.

    He was killed in the attack.

    The garden was inaugurated by Ahmed’s wife Shazia Kousher in the presence of Inspector General of CRPF, Jammu Sector, P S Ranpise and other senior officers, the spokesperson said.

    Students and youth also took to streets to pay tributes to the CRPF personnel who were killed in Pulwama.

    The around 3.25 lakh-personnel-strong force is the world’s largest paramilitary with about 65 battalions or about 70,000 personnel deployed in the Kashmir Valley for undertaking counter-terrorism operations and rendering law and order duties.

    As per official data, a total of 2,224 CRPF personnel have been killed in action till now.

    The force was raised in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police (CRP) during the British Raj and was re-named the Central Reserve Police Force a decade later in 1949.

  • In a first, CRPF gets 34 women cobra commandos

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: In a first, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Saturday inducted 34 women commandos in its specialised jungle warfare commando force CoBRA which is mainly deployed in states affected by Naxalism or as the government calls it Left Wing Extremism. The women commandos will soon be deployed in the anti-Naxal operations grid of the country.

    While majority of CoBRA teams, whose commandos are expected to have tough mental and physical attributes, are deployed in various LWE areas, few teams are also deployed in the northeastern states for undertaking counter-insurgency operations. To mark the historic move, a ceremonial event was held at the forces’ camp in Kadarpur village in Gurgaon where the chosen women officials performed combat drills. Director General of CRPF AP Maheshwari lauded the women, saying they are an inspiration for numerous young girls who aspire to do good for themselves and the country.

    He said these combatants have proved that power is not in the muscles but in the head, adding that it was important to defeat genderbased beliefs and stereotypes. The personnel, earmarked for CoBRA, have been chosen from the existing six all-women battalions of the force.

    “These women will undergo a pre-induction training for three months and subsequently will be embedded with CoBRA units deployed in Naxal violence affected districts of Chhattisgarh like Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur,” CRPF spokesperson said. Maheshwari urged the women personnel to “make their place” in the families of those youth who have gone astray or away from the national mainstream and help in bringing them back. He said women personnel can also play an important role in countering the activities of “sleeper cells”.