Dineshwar Sharma: Best man for the job

Dineshwar Sharma, the IPS officer who tracked terror networks in Kashmir and the northeast for decades, was considered the best man for the job to initiate a dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir. He is known to have a compassionate view on the sufferings of the conflict-hit state, government sources said.

An IPS officer of the 1979 batch from Kerala, Sharma always maintained a low profile and spent 25 years in the Intelligence Bureau and headed the agency between 2014 and 2016.

Between 1979 and 1991, he served in various police roles in his state cadre Kerala. He joined the Intelligence Bureau in 1991, and the following year was posted to Kashmir when terrorism was at its peak in the state.

Sharma hails from Belaganj area of Gaya in Bihar. After completing his primary education from Pali village in Bihar, he went to Gaya for graduation. Sharma first qualified for Indian Forest Service and later opted for Indian Police Service.

Known for not mincing his words, Sharma has vast experience in counter insurgency intelligence gathering. Besides Kashmir, he has served in Manipur and Nagaland and was currently an interlocutor for talks with insurgent groups in the northeast.

At the Intelligence Bureau headquarters, he served as served as deputy director, joint director, additional director, and special director, before heading the agency.

"His knowledge of Jammu and Kashmir and experience in dealing with complex issues makes him the right man for the job," said a government official.