42 personnel of J&K police killed in a year, 1622 in the last 28 years: DGP

As many as 42 personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Police, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP), laid down their lives in the line of duty in the state during the past one year, said Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid at the Police Commemoration Day Parade here on Saturday. As per official records, 328 security force personnel have been killed from September 2016 to August 2017 in the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, 1,622 personnel from Jammu and Kashmir Police have been martyred in the last 28 years in the state during counter-militancy operations and militant attacks. “42 J&K police personnel security forces have laid down their lives while fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir from September 2015 to August 2016,” DGP S P Vaid said at the Police Commemoration Day Parade here. He said 1622 police personnel -- including one Deputy Inspector General (DIG), one Superintendent of Police (SP), 20 Deputy SPs, 24 Inspectors, 34 Sub Inspectors (SI), 63 Assistant SI, 142 head constables -- were killed in the last 28 years in the state. The DGP said that the sacrifice by DySP Mohammad Ayoub Pandith, SI Feroz Ahmad Dar and the tears of the daughter of ASI Abdul Rashid will never erase from the minds of the people. Pandith was lynched to death by a mob outside historic Jamia Masjid on Shab-e-Qadr.

“The police department has made many arrangements to help the families of the martyrs,” he said. Thanking the government for increasing the ex gratia relief to the families of the martyrs, he said it has been increased from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. “The family now gets Rs 43 lakh in total as compared to Rs 27 lakh given earlier,” he said.

He applauded the decision of the government to increase the Selection Grade Constable quota from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. “I hope in the coming days various others schemes, including health sector, besides promotions to Head Constables are implemented,” he added. The DGP said this year so far Rs 20 crore has been given to the families of the martyrs of police. “Over 18 crore were given under welfare schemes while 1.07 crore was given as ex gratia relief to the families of the martyrs,” he added.