NIA to investigate 'Bangladesh link' of accused DSP Devinder Singh

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a case against the accused DSP of the Jammu and Kashmir Police after he was caught ferrying terrorists in south Kashmir's Kulgam district which included a top-ranking Hizbul terrorist Naveed Babu.

Sources said that the Devinder Singh will be taken to New Delhi for further interrogation and investigation in the high profile case. According to reports, NIA has filed a separate case against the officer under Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

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Sources in the Jammu and Kashmir police have told WION that Devinder Singh had travelled to Bangladesh on three occasions last year in a short period where his daughter is studying. The investigators are trying to find why he travelled to the country and who he met there.

"The NIA will also investigate the reason for his frequent travel to Bangladesh. He travelled there in March, May, and July in 2019 for just a few days," said a top police source adding that since the J&K police have no jurisdiction for the same, the NIA will take it up with their counterparts.

They are also suspecting that Devender may have met the men from Inter-Services Intelligence -- the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan, -- when he travelled there and there could be more to investigate.

Sources in the police also said that few transactions were made to the police officer's account after he went to Bangladesh are also being looked at. "Where did the money come from and was he receiving money someone from outside the country", this needs to be investigated and NIA will look at this angle," said an officer.

The J&K police officer was arrested while he was transporting two terrorists and one OGW to Jammu and then Chandigarh. His arrest came as a big shock to the department as in 2018, he was awarded Sher-e-Kashmir police medal for gallantry for his role in countering Pulwama suicide attack which killed eight security forces personnel. The police later ordered the forfeiture of his medal for being disloyal to the service and bringing disrepute to forces.

Singh has been involved in many counter-insurgency operations in the '90s when the terrorism erupted in the erstwhile state but his currier has been marred by allegations of extortion. Several questions were raised on his deployment at the highly sensitive airport in Srinagar as he was part of the anti-hijacking unit and was seen posing with the group of foreign envoys who visited the valley on an official tour.