JAMMU: Over 900 officials, including 23 SPs and DSPs, are reported to have either sought premature retirement or proceeded on long leave. ‘According to highly placed sources, most of the police personnel who have sought premature retirement are from the CID (SB),
CID (Cl), fire services and the JKAP.
Reports said 365 police and fire service officials, who had deserted the Kashmir valley, have filed a writ petition in the high court at Jammu, praying for the release of their salaries and adjustment elsewhere. Those who have filed the writ include one DSP, four Inspectors, 18 SIs and 12 ASIs.
Reports said four SPs of the JKAP posted in the Kashmir valley have already gone on long leave even though it was not sanctioned by the competent authority. The sources said due to constant threats to their families, the police officials have applied for premature retirement. The police officials, the sources claimed, have sought premature retirement on medical grounds. According to the State service rules, an official can seek premature retirement provided he has either attained the age of 50 or rendered 22 years of service.
The sources said the reason behind seeking premature retirement by some of the officials was Constant threats from Paktrained militants to them and their families. Some of the officials are reported to have said that they are unable to meet the challenge posed by Pakistan trained militants for want of modern and sophisticated weapons. There are reports that some of these officials had requested the state government for their transfer to Jammu or Ladakh and when they were not transferred, they applied for premature retirement.
Meanwhile, most of the police officials recently transferred from Jammu to Srinagar have not joined their new postings in the valley. It is learnt that most of them have taken medical leave.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 9, 1990
