Smartphone ban for on-duty Jammu and Kashmir cops

Jammu and Kashmir police has banned the use of smartphones by cops in a bid to prevent the growing menace of weapon-snatching by terrorists .

A circular issued by Additional Director General of Police (Armed) AK Choudhary said that the recent incidents have occurred because sentries on duty "remain engaged with their smartphones for most of the time, thereby compromising with their legitimate duty". "This tendency has considerably increased and resulted in weapon snatching/killing of police in the state, particularly in the Valley," the one-page circular said.

According to official figures, nearly 251 weapons were stolen by terrorists from security forces in the last three years. About 76 weapons were recovered by the forces later. So far, 90 accused have been arrested in these cases.

The tendency, said Choudhary, not only harmed the image of the organization but also compromised personal security of the individual.

Under the new guidelines, no sentry shall carry any smartphone during duty hours, under any circumstances. Facing a shortage of weapons, suspected terrorists have been looting rifles from the policemen. They greeted the Ramzan truce by stealing three rifles from police guard at a hotel in Dalgate, Srinagar on May 17 . On May 11, a policeman was killed when cops foiled a bid by terrorists to loot weapons from a guard post in Wadhwan area, Budgam district.

Weapon security

• On May 17, terrorists stole 3 rifles from police guard at a hotel in Dalgate, Srinagar
• 251 weapons were stolen by terrorists from security forces in the past three yrs
• About 76 weapons have been recovered by the forces so far