<p class="rtejustify">A cop of Jammu and Kashmir Police decamped with nine service weapons of colleagues from a security post at the residence of a PDP legislator at uptown Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar on Friday.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">A police spokesperson said special police officer (SPO) Adil Bashir Sheikh decamped with five AK-series rifles, four INSAS and one pistol from the guard room at J-11, Government Quarters, Jawahar Nagar.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">The government quarter, from where the SPO decamped with weapons, is allotted to Aijaz Mir, Peoples Democratic Party (PD) MLA from south Kashmir’s Wachi constituency. Police said 24-year-old Sheikh (Belt No. 488/SPO) hails from militancy infested Zainpora area of Shopian district. He was engaged as SPO on March 11, 2017.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">A high alert has been sounded across Srinagar and all routes leading to South Kashmir were being sealed to nab the deserter SPO. “It is not job of a single person to run away with such a huge quantity of weapons. There are more people involved and we are investigating,” a senior police officer said.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">In recent years, several such incidents have been reported in the Valley, where policemen decamped with the service rifles of fellow cops and later joined militants. However, this is the first time that one policeman has decamped with such a huge quantity of weapons. </p>.<p class="rtejustify" dir="ltr"><strong>Honorarium hike</strong></p>.<p class="rtejustify">SPOs are recruited by the police on a fixed monthly remuneration of Rs 6000. The wages of SPOs are given by the state government and reimbursed by the Centre under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme. The police maintain SPOs as an important element in their strategy to combat militancy.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">On Wednesday the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) increased the honorarium for SPOs with more than 15 years of service, from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 per month.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">A cop of Jammu and Kashmir Police decamped with nine service weapons of colleagues from a security post at the residence of a PDP legislator at uptown Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar on Friday.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">A police spokesperson said special police officer (SPO) Adil Bashir Sheikh decamped with five AK-series rifles, four INSAS and one pistol from the guard room at J-11, Government Quarters, Jawahar Nagar.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">The government quarter, from where the SPO decamped with weapons, is allotted to Aijaz Mir, Peoples Democratic Party (PD) MLA from south Kashmir’s Wachi constituency. Police said 24-year-old Sheikh (Belt No. 488/SPO) hails from militancy infested Zainpora area of Shopian district. He was engaged as SPO on March 11, 2017.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">A high alert has been sounded across Srinagar and all routes leading to South Kashmir were being sealed to nab the deserter SPO. “It is not job of a single person to run away with such a huge quantity of weapons. There are more people involved and we are investigating,” a senior police officer said.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">In recent years, several such incidents have been reported in the Valley, where policemen decamped with the service rifles of fellow cops and later joined militants. However, this is the first time that one policeman has decamped with such a huge quantity of weapons. </p>.<p class="rtejustify" dir="ltr"><strong>Honorarium hike</strong></p>.<p class="rtejustify">SPOs are recruited by the police on a fixed monthly remuneration of Rs 6000. The wages of SPOs are given by the state government and reimbursed by the Centre under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme. The police maintain SPOs as an important element in their strategy to combat militancy.</p>.<p class="rtejustify">On Wednesday the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) increased the honorarium for SPOs with more than 15 years of service, from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 per month.</p>