No Transfer, No Accountability: Powerful police official’s long stay in the JSK range raises serious questions; Mining mafia allegations add fuel to controversy; police top brass urged to examine alleged nexus and prolonged postings

No Transfer, No Accountability: Powerful police official’s long stay in the JSK range raises serious questions; Mining mafia allegations add fuel to controversy; police top brass urged to examine alleged nexus and prolonged postings

SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)

POONCH/JAMMU: The J&K Police has earned enormous respect for its courageous fight against terrorism and its role in maintaining peace and law and order under extremely challenging circumstances. But allegations concerning a few officials, if left unanswered, can damage the reputation of an institution that has made immense sacrifices for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

A serious controversy is now being discussed in police circles over the alleged decades-long posting of a powerful police official within the same geographical jurisdiction of the JSK Range, raising a blunt question: Why has the official allegedly never been shifted outside the area despite such a prolonged tenure? According to sources familiar with the matter, the official joined the police department more than two decades ago and has spent a substantial part of her career within the same particular area, which falls under the command of an SSP-level officer. Despite promotions during her service, sources claim that she continued to remain associated with the same geographical jurisdiction and occupied important assignments. The alleged prolonged stay has reportedly created a perception among sections of the public and police personnel that the official has become “too influential to be moved”. That perception, whether justified or not, demands an answer from the police hierarchy. The question being quietly discussed in departmental circles is straightforward: How can any police official remain associated with one particular area for such a long period without being transferred outside the jurisdiction? Sources claim that the official has developed strong professional contacts with senior officers and has allegedly remained influential in several middle-level police matters. There are also claims that some senior officers have relied upon her experience and guidance on departmental and other public-related issues. If there are legitimate administrative reasons behind such a long posting, the police department should place the facts on record. If there are no such reasons, the continued posting deserves immediate review. The controversy becomes more sensitive amid allegations that certain police officials are allegedly providing support to persons involved in illegal mining activities in parts of the JSK Range, and those who have been running the said areas have come under a big question mark as far as their professional duties related to tackling lightly such types of issues are concerned. It’s a fact that illegal extraction of sand, gravel, and other minerals from riverbeds and vulnerable locations in the JSK Range has repeatedly generated public concern, but the police were seen hushing up the matter on several occasions. Sources allege that some mining operators enjoy connections within sections of the police establishment in the JSK range and that complaints or media reports concerning illegal mining are sometimes allegedly followed by attempts to influence or suppress the issue. These allegations require a proper investigation. If illegal mining is taking place, who is allowing it to continue? If police personnel are protecting mining operators, who is protecting those police personnel? And if the allegations are false, why not conduct an impartial inquiry and put the matter to rest? Sources further allege that whenever some members of the fourth estate attempt to highlight illegal mining, eyeing personal favours, they used to get influenced by some top officers through influential intermediaries. Even some officers posted outside the Jammu have allegedly attempted to intervene in mining-related matters to protect their well-wishers in police and also managed to influence those media persons who used to highlight the matter. Such allegations are extremely serious. No official, businessman, or intermediary should have the authority to decide what journalists can or cannot report. The role of the media is to bring issues concerning public interest before the authorities and the people. The issue of illegal mining also has a direct bearing on public safety. In areas that have recently witnessed flood-like conditions in various districts of the Jammu division, unchecked mining activity deserves particularly close scrutiny. If sensitive riverbed areas have been exploited for commercial gain, the administration must determine whether the activity complied with mining regulations and environmental safeguards. A highly placed departmental source, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration over what was described as the system’s inability to act against influential persons. While talking to “POONCH TODAY”, he said, “Bhai, sab fix hai. Kya karoge chaap ke? Kuch nahi hoga. Sab mile hue hain.” The statement is an allegation, not an established fact, but it reflects the level of distrust that can develop when complaints involving powerful individuals remain unresolved. The police hierarchy should either disprove such perceptions through transparent action or investigate whether there is any substance behind them. The matter warrants the attention of the highest levels of the police administration. If no wrongdoing is found, the inquiry will strengthen the official’s credibility. If violations are established, action should follow irrespective of rank or connections. The J&K Police cannot afford to allow allegations against individual officials to undermine the credibility of the entire force. Thousands of police personnel continue to perform their duties under difficult conditions, and many have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. That is precisely why allegations involving powerful officials must not be ignored. The police top brass should therefore address the alleged prolonged posting and the alleged mining nexus without delay.

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