Published 21:40 IST, January 15th 2020
J&K cop Davinder Singh's arrest revives pro-Afzal Guru voices
The arrest of officer Davinder Singh by the J&K Police while ferrying terrorists has revived the case of Afzal Guru, a convict in the 2001 Parliament attack.
The red-handed arrest of officer Davinder Singh by the J&K Police while ferrying Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists has revived the case of Afzal Guru, a convict in the 2001 Parliament attack. The arrest of Davinder Singh resurrected the pro-Afzal Guru voices who accentuated on the link between the arrested officer and the terrorist. Afzal Guru had previously mentioned Davinder Singh in a letter written to his lawyer in 2013, before his hanging.
On social media, following the arrest of the officer, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, activist Kavita Krishnan, journalist Rana Ayyub, and J&K People's Movement leader Shehla Rashid purportedly attempted to resurrect the Afzal Guru case, by linking it to Davinder Singh's recent arrest. In a tweet, Prashant Bhushan said, 'Davinder Singh was accused by Afzal Guru of torturing him to help terrorists who attacked Parliament.' Shehla Rashid noted that 'Afzal was ordered by a cop to arrange logistics for one of the attackers.' Meanwhile, Rana Ayyub questioned if 'tough questions be asked about Afzal Guru's statement?'
Senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer Davinder Singh was suspended on Monday even as it emerged that he had sheltered three terrorists, arrested along with him, at his residence here right next to the Army's XV Corps headquarters at Badami Bagh cantonment, officials said. Singh, who was decorated with President Police Medal about four months ago, continued to be grilled by a team of police and intelligence investigators. His office at Srinagar airport, where he was posted as deputy superintendent of police in the anti-hijacking squad, was sealed, they said.
Afzal Guru link
This is not the first time that Davinder Singh has been in the news for the wrong reasons. In a letter written in 2013, Afzal Guru, who was executed after being convicted for the Parliament attack, explained how "DSP Davinder Singh", the then deputy superintendent of police of Special Operations Group, had asked him to "take Mohammad", a co-accused in the Parliament attack case, "to Delhi, rent a flat for his stay and purchase a car for him". However, the angle was probed and could not be substantiated with any evidence, the officials said.
Afzal Guru was hung to death in February 2013 for his role in the terror operation. The entire operation was monitored by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Kashmir) Atul Goyal who himself stood at an intersection to intercept the vehicle.
Updated 21:40 IST, January 15th 2020