Srinagar: In a significant development, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration on Friday ordered a major reshuffle in the police set-up, changing 12 IPS officers of different ranks and others of the JKPS cadre.
The major rejig in the police department was done just hours before the Election Commission of India is expected to announce the poll schedule for J&K Legislative Assembly elections later in the day on Friday.
An order issued by the Home Department said that Nitish Kumar IPS (AGMUT: 1999) ADGP CID is posted as head of CID relieving RR Swain IPS (AGMUT: 1991) DGP J&K of additional charge.
Sujit Kumar IPS (AGMUT: 2007) has been posted as in charge IGP Security J&K relieving MK Sinha of additional charge.
Bhim Sen Tuti IPS (AGMUT: 2004) has been posted as IGP (POS) at the police headquarters.
Sunil Gupta IPS (AGMUT: 2007) has been posted as IGP Crime relieving Deepak Kumar of additional charge.
Vivek Gupta IPS (AGMUT: 2007) is in charge of IGP Railways.
Suleman Choudhary IPS (AGMUT: 2007) is in charge of IGP Traffic, and Maqsood-ul-Zaman IPS (AGMUT: 2011) is now DIG north Kashmir Baramulla range.
Shiv Sharma IPS (AGMUT: 2011) is DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua range.
In addition to this, SSPs of Jammu, Baramulla, Shopian, Ganderbal, Udhampur, Poonch, Doda, Kathua, Reasi and Ramban have also been changed.
The move to post new police chiefs to these areas is significant because these places have seen a major increase in cases of terrorist attacks in the past few weeks.
It must be mentioned here that the Ministry of Home Affairs has already posted Nalin Prabhat, IPS, on a three-year deputation to the AGMUT cadre as the Special DGP J&K with orders to succeed RR Swain as the DGP JK after the latter retires from active service on September 30 this year.
IANS