Suspended Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Devender Singh, who was arrested along with two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, was working under Pakistani handlers from Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. This was revealed in the chargesheet in the case filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The chargesheet was filed in front of a special court in Jammu by the terror probe agency in the first week of July. According to it, Devender Singh was instructed by his handler to establish contact with the Ministry of External Affairs for espionage activities. According to NIA, Singh was in constant touch with his handlers in the Pakistan High Commission. These handlers were sent back to Pakistan by the Indian government after they were caught spying in India.
Giving details of how the once decorated police officer had worked with Pakistani handlers, the 3,064 page charesheet says that he had saved the number of his contact in the Pakistan High Commission as “Pak Bhai” (Pakistani brother). His handler had assigned him various tasks, which included detail of movements of armed forces and schedule of visits of VIPs in the Kashmir valley.
After Devender Singh started to spy for Hizbul Mujahideen, he was asked to establish contact with the external affairs ministry so that he can gather information from there. But he was unable to make any progress in this task, the NIA said.
The chargesheet filed by NIA accuses Singh and others of waging war against India with the help of Pakistani spies in India and Pakistan-based terror organisations. The NIA also says that Singh was in touch with Pakistan High Commission officials through social media platforms. He was being groomed by Pakistani handlers to obtain sensitive information from Indian government.
Apart from Devender Singh, the chargesheet also names Hizbul commander Syed Naveed Mushtaq alias Naveed Babu, his brother Syed Irfan Ahmad, the terror group’s overground worker Irfan Shafi Mir, accomplice Rafi Ahmad Rather and businessman Tanveer Ahmad Wani.
NIA has said in the chargesheet that the Pakistani govt has been using all possible means to fund, arm and sustain the terrorist activities of the banned terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen.
Devender Singh was arrested in January 11 this year by Jammu and Kashmir police when he was travelling in a car along with two Hizbul terrorists Naveed Babu and Asif Rather, and an advocate. They arrested near Mir Bazar in Qazigund area of Kulgam District when they were reportedly travelling to Delhi. Arms and ammunition including an AK-47 rifle and some hand grenades were found in the Maruti car used by them. Later, more arms were recovered from Singh’s house in Shivpora near army headquarters in Badamibagh.
After the arrest by J&K police, the case was handed over to the NIA.
The Hizbul terrorist Naveed Babu arrested along with Singh is also a former J&K police constable, who had fled in 2017 with two AK-47 rifles and joined the terror group.
During arrest, DSP Davinder Singh was currently posted at the Srinagar International Airport. Earlier he was in the anti-hijacking squad of J&K police, and before that a part of the special operations group when the elite force was established. He was posted as an inspector in the SOG, and due to his successful anti-terror operations, he had got an out-of-turn promotion as DSP.
But later he was removed from SOG after there were allegations of extortions against him, and he was suspended from services for some time. After that, he was posted at the police control room and then the anti-hijacking unit.